Oblivion
by imstormborn
Summary: Klaus Mikaelson finds out he has been living a lie for thirty years when his real father dies, leaving to his only son all his wealth. Little he knows about the secrets that his biological father's house hides. Caroline Forbes is just one of the many souls that haunt the mansion.
1. I chapter

**Oblivion - **_I_

Klaus Mikaelson had never been aware of not being the legitimate son of the man he had been calling _father_ since the day of his birth. After the death of his biological parent he found out the truth. The man's testament established that his only son had the right to inherit all the his wealth. Esther, Klaus' mother, admitted she had been keeping the secret in order to preserve the name of the family. Mikael, his step father, had always known the truth and he had decided to ignore it. Klaus felt hurt and betrayed, he kept telling himself he had been living a lie for thirty years. He couldn't meet his dead father anymore, yet he could still learn more about him by visiting his house, the one he had acquired after the man's death.  
The propriety was far from New Orleans. Klaus drove for a good hour, following the GPS' indications. It was a cold February day, it was raining outside. Somebody said a hurricane was coming. The keys of the house were on the back seat. Margot, Klaus' dog, sat right next to him in the car. She looked like a young wolf, Klaus had found her on a free road when she was just a puppy.

"Are you comfortable there?" He asked. The dog looked back at him, Klaus caressed her sweet snout. Suddenly the GPS stopped working, even tough Klaus had charged it, it seemed dead.  
"Are you fucking kidding me?" He complained. He grabbed the object trying to fix it.  
"Fuck." He murmured, then he took his phone to use the maps. There was no signal, nor internet connection. Suddenly he saw a woman walking in the middle of the road under the rain. He rolled down the window in order to ask for indications. "I'm sorry? Hey?" He tired to get her attention, yet the old woman didn't seem to notice him. She kept walking. "I'm sorry?" He repeated until she put her eyes on him.  
"I'm looking for a house, a big one in Saint Ann street." He said. The woman remained silent, for a moment he wondered if she was deaf.  
"Do you mind telling me..." That was an awkward situation. "Never mind." He said after a little while. He shook his head and he sighed leaving her behind him. "Welcome to Silent Hill, Margot." His sarcasm showed through his tone as he gave a look to his dog. He kept going until his eyes noticed a street sign. _St. Ann street_. He had found the place he was looking for and he didn't even know how. He slowed down and he stopped the car in front of the black gate of the big mansion wrapped in the wild nature of the Bayou. "Not creepy at all." He joked again, seeing the house from inside the car.  
"Alright." He told himself it was time to go and see what the creepy house hid. He got out the car with Margot and he took the keys on the back seat. He opened the gate, then he drove until he reached the porch. As he opened the car's door his dog stayed seated, he stared at the house.  
"C'mon, Margot." Klaus found it weird, Margot was always curious to explore new places. He saw something different in the look in her eyes. "You can't stay in the car, let's go." He took her by the collar around her neck and he closed the car's door. He walked fast under the porch of the mansion to protect himself from the rain, then he put the keys in the lock and he opened the entrance door. Margot stayed out while he got in, as he turned to look at the dog she softly whined. Klaus bent to caress her snout, he thought something was wrong with her. "What happens to you?" He asked. "C'mon, girl." He convinced her to follow him. Yet, as he closed the door, she sat again and she showed no intentions to go further. Klaus looked around himself, it was the biggest house he had ever seen. It was also as creepy as he expected. Some windows were closed, the light that came from the outside was weak. There was a bad mold smell in the air, the floor was covered by dust. All the pieces of furniture seemed old and expensive. Klaus explored the first floor, then he climbed the stairs. All the steps creaked every time his feet touched them.  
He didn't feel safe at all. He kept feeling a weird sensation, it was like somebody was watching him. Some rooms were colder than the others, Klaus couldn't understand why since all the windows were well closed.  
He reached one of the bedrooms. Everything seemed at its place, except for a broken lamp. Glasses were all over the floor, he realized it when he stepped on them. He wondered how it had fallen.

* * *

Caroline heard some noises coming from the first floor. She was hiding herself in the basement, she had always been afraid of storms. She jumped as she realized that someone was in the house, _her_ house. Since the last owner had died nobody had visited the place anymore, she had almost gotten used to the silence. She wasn't alone, of course she wasn't, yet all the others didn't really care about her. As she found some courage inside of her she went upstairs to make sure thieves weren't robbing the last owner's goods. She moved slowly and carefully until she arrived to the entrance. She saw no one but a dog. A sweet smile appeared on her face, she had always loved animals.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked bending on her knees to caress the doggy's soft fur. Margot didn't seem scared, on the contrary she enjoyed all the cuddles. She immediately lay down in order to show her belly to her new friend. Caroline laughed, she didn't do it very often. Being constantly on her own had forced her to become shy and insecure, she didn't talk much, not even with the people that lived in the house. "Do you have a name? Mhh?" She asked again to the dog while her hand caressed her belly. She saw the little tag of her collar and she read her name. "Margot." She whispered. "I'm Caroline." Her smile stayed on her soft, rosy lips. "We have French names." She noticed.

"Margot? What the hell are you doing?" A man's voice made her jump. Her heart was about to explode in her chest. A tall guys was standing behind her, right on the last step of the staircase. His blue eyes stayed on his dog, he didn't notice her, nobody ever did. Caroline didn't help herself from thinking he was cute, then her cheeks blushed - or at least she thought so - and she rebuked herself for her inappropriate thoughts. She didn't say a word, she knew he wouldn't have ever heard her.

* * *

Klaus looked confused. As he walked closer toward his dog he felt shivers running across his arms. He was freezing, suddenly the air around him had become colder. He felt again that weird sensation, he felt somebody was watching him. He looked at the shivers on the pale skin of his arms and he stayed still. "Creepy." He murmured. He tried to convince himself his mind was playing him tricks. He had promised himself he would have spent the night in his father's house, he had no intention to change his mind. The rain hadn't stop falling outside and the night was about to come, it wouldn't have been safe to drive in the dark of a storm. "Let's eat dinner." He said to the dog. He had some food with him, so he took it from the car and he brought it to the kitchen. After he found everything he needed in the room, he turned on the TV and he started cooking some bacon with cheese and toasts. Margot seated and she stayed quiet, waiting to get something to eat.  
Klaus took his phone and he looked for his brother's number among the contacts. "Pick up the phone." He murmured while waiting.

"Big brother! How you doing?" Kol, Klaus' younger brother, responded to the call.

"Kol." Klaus smiled. "I'm doing great. I just found out my real father was related to Dracula. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw a coffin somewhere around here." He joked, then he heard some girls speaking and laughing behind the phone. Kol told them he was coming in a minute.

"Say _hi_ to my brother Nik!" He told them. The girls said hi and Klaus frowned.

"Where are you, precisely?" He asked to his little brother.

"I threw a party! Wanna come? There's alcohol, weed and a lot of pussy." Kol wasn't a good guy, or at least not good as much as his older brother Elijah, who was a lawyer and lived a happy life with his family.

"I can't, I'll stay here tonight. I'll try to find out more about my father. I'd ask you to come but you seem rather busy."

"You know I'd love to keep you company, Nik, but... I watched The Grudge yesterday and I'm not ready to sleep in a haunted house." Klaus laughed hearing his brother's words.

"It's not haunted." He said.

"Yes, that's how every horror movie begins." Kol said. Klaus tried to grab the salt he had placed on the lunch counter and he didn't find it. He frowned, telling himself he was sure he had put it right there. Suddenly the TV started to make noises, the images weren't clear anymore.

"I'll call you later, TV is not working." He said.

"Fine. Stay alive." Klaus hung up the phone, then he tried to fix the TV until the screen became black. Apparently, the storm interrupted reception of all the channels.

"Wonderful." Klaus complained. He sighed, then he took his dinner and he brought it upstairs, in his father's office. He turned on a laptop he found on the desk while eating. There was no wi fi, yet he saw some personal photos among the images. He gave some bacon to Margot, then he stood up to look around himself and find something interesting. He turned on the light of the room as he realized that the sky out there had become dark. He snooped in every drawer until he found an album in which his father kept old pictures of him as a child. _My son, _he had written behind one of them. Klaus asked himself why, why that man had remained in the shadows until the day he had died. Holding the album he sat again on the chair behind the desk, then he opened a beer and he started drinking while he leafed through the pages.

* * *

**Here I am with another dark fic. This is the first chapter of my new story, I hope you enjoyed it. In the next chapter I'll write more about Caroline, but all the details of her past will stay a secret.  
I'd love to know what you think about it so far. Leave a review. Xx**

**Some of you might already know that English is not my first language, so I'm sorry if you see grammar or/and spelling mistakes. :)**


	2. II chapter

**Oblivion - **_II_

The phone rang on the office's desk. Klaus slowly opened his eyes, he realized he had fallen asleep on the chair. The empty bottle of beer was on the floor. It was morning, again. The sky outside the windows was grey, the storm hadn't ended. The pouring rain fell against the house, and she strong wind powerfully blew against the glass of the windows, making them tremble. Margot was lying on the couch. She looked tired, it was still early morning. Klaus grabbed his phone and he read the name on the screen. Rebekah, his little sister, was calling.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Nik? It's Bekah. Kol has called, he has said you're staying in your father's house. I was wondering if you might take care of Sarah, while me and Stefan buy food, before the hurricane comes. The news said stores will stay closed for the next days." She spoke while she cooked breakfast for her little daughter. Rebekah had married Stefan after they had both finished college, six years ago. Sarah was their first and only child. They were a happy family. Klaus looked around himself, still confused. He massaged his hurting head. "Nik? Are you still there?" Rebekah asked again.

"Yes, there's no problem." He said, then he remembered he hadn't taken his pills. He stood up and he started looking for them in the office. "You know I like spending time with my niece." He kept saying, while his tone seemed distant and his hands kept checking in the drawers. Rebekah remained silent for a while.

"Did you take your pills?" She asked. Klaus sighed. He hated it, he hated being seen as a mad person who needed his meds to remain sane. He stopped in the middle of the room. He gave up, thinking he had forgotten the pills at home, even tough he clearly remembered he had brought them with him.

"Yes, of course." He lied. He knew Rebekah would have never let him see Sarah, if he told her he hadn't followed his psychiatrist's prescription. His mind was a weird place, it had always been, since he was only a child. He had spent his childhood waiting in cold and white hospital's hallways just to let the doctors study his brain, and then repeat the same old song. There was nothing wrong with him, or at least there was nothing you could see through a radiography. Hallucinations; that was his problem. His psychiatrist thought it was a form of schizophrenia. At the beginning everybody seemed to think it was just a kid's imagination, but then things had gone worse. "Saint Ann Street. Drive carefully." Klaus told his sister his new address.

"Alright. We'll be there in a hour." Rebekah said back. Klaus left his phone on the desk, then he sighed again. He sat on the couch to caress Margot's white fur. The wolf dog lay on her back to show him her belly. He smiled to her. "Good morning, beautiful." He whispered. When he climbed down the stairs, Margot followed him. As he opened the house's door to let her go for a walk in the garden, she immediately ran outside. Klaus stayed still under the porch and he crossed his arms against his chest. The air was cold. White smoke left his mouth every time he took a breath. Suddenly, he saw Margot digging a hole in the wet ground of the yard. "Hey, stop it!" He rebuked her. Usually she always obeyed him. That time she didn't mind his order, she kept digging and she started barking, to draw Klaus' attention. He left the porch to reach the dog, he got wet while walking under the pouring rain.  
"What is wrong with you?" He grabbed her collar to take her back in the house. As they got in, Margot kept barking against the closed door. Klaus observed her behavior. She had started acting weird since they had arrived. "Hey." He knelt to caress her snout, to calm her down. "It's alright. You're hungry?" He asked. He thought it was because of the storm. Animals were sensitive, and a hurricane was coming. Klaus cooked breakfast. When he tried to turn the TV on, he noticed it still didn't work. As it wasn't enough, his phone's battery died with no reason. He tried to put it in charge, but it seemed like every socket didn't work. "Fucking house." He complained. No TV, no wi fi, no phone. It felt like hell itself.  
A good half hour later, when he heard a car coming, he opened the door and he saw his brother in law driving through the open, black gate. He stopped by the porch. Rebekah got out the car to open Sarah's door. The child immediately ran toward Klaus as soon as she saw him.

"Uncle Nik!" She shouted. Klaus took her in his arms and he held her tight. Margot kept wadding her tail around them. Little Sarah Jane Salvatore was a stunning, five years old child. She looked a lot alike her mother, Rebekah. She had blonde, straight and soft hair. A pair of blue and bright eyes enlightened her pretty face. Her lips were full and rosy, while her skin was pale.

"Here's my favorite niece!" He said. Rebekah and her husband, Stefan, ran under the porch.

"Hey, Nik." Stefan extended his hand toward Klaus, he grabbed it vigorously to give him his salute, and then he let it go the moment after.

"This rain sucks, look at my hair!" Rebekah complained. Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Your hair looks perfect." He smiled to her. They were deeply in love with each other.

"She's right, Stefan. Her hair is a mess." Klaus said, he made Sarah laugh. His niece still surrounded his neck with her slim, little arms. Rebekah faked a smile.

"Said the one who's related to the Addam's family." She joked about her brother's new, creepy house.

"Wanna take a look inside?" Klaus showed them the way in.

"No. I wouldn't like being the one who finds the corpses you're hiding in the basement. But thanks." She used her sarcasm again. It was a family's thing. Rebekah had never stopped thinking his brother looked like a mass murderer. She loved him and she knew he was a good guy, but the look in his eyes didn't help him looking like a nice person.

"Actually, we need to hurry before stores close." Stefan said. "You need something?" He asked.

"I need a spell to hush my little sister." He smirked, then he walked in the house to not let Sarah feel cold. Stefan smiled.

"Call me when you'll find one." He said. Rebekah gave a strict glance to her husband.

"What?" She shouted.

"Say bye to mommy and daddy." Sarah shook her hand at her parents when her uncle told her to say hi. Rebekah walked in to leave a kiss on her daughter's cheek.

"Be a good girl." She said. Stefan waited for his wife outside.

"Bye Nik." He said. Klaus kept holding Sarah, while the two of them watched her parents get in their car again.

"Don't let her eat junk food!" Rebekah shouted from the window. Klaus smirked. He wasn't going to follow the rules. He was Sarah's uncle, not his father. It wasn't his job teaching her good manners or keeping her from doing what she liked. As he closed the door he let the kid stand on her feet. Sarah looked around herself.

"This house looks like the haunted house I saw in Disneyland!" She realized, without leaving Klaus' side. She was a little scared. She remembered she had kept her eyes closed while her daddy had brought her in the ghost's house a few months ago, in Disneyland. Klaus bent on his knees and he raised his eyebrows, looking her in the eyes.

"Are you sure? I bet they didn't have candies in that haunted house." He smirked again, while the little girl shook her head.

"Does your house have candies?" She asked. Her blue eyes became brighter. Klaus nodded.

"Plenty of candies. And ice cream too." A big smile appeared on Sarah's pretty face, as she heard her uncle's words.

"I want chocolate!" Klaus smiled again, then he led her toward the kitchen. Sarah ran, she wasn't afraid of the house anymore. She looked Klaus while he took ice cream from the freezer. He made her sit on the table while he prepared her cup of cream and chocolate. Sarah started telling him about what had happened lately in school. She talked a lot, just like her mother. As Klaus gave her the cup she started eating.

"Don't tell your mother." Klaus said. The little girl shook her head. She knew how to keep a secret. She saw the TV and she went sitting on the couch.

"May I watch cartoons, uncle Nik?" She asked for his permission. He was washing the dishes he had used to make breakfast, but he stopped to take the controller and try to turn the TV on. Suddenly the screen seemed to perfectly work, even tough the storm out there hadn't passed yet. He looked confused, while Sarah stayed quiet and enjoyed her favorite show. Her mouth was covered in chocolate.

"Weird." He murmured. He left the controller on the couch, then he came back in the kitchen to wash dishes. Margot stayed with Sarah, she always took care of her. Klaus' phone rang again, even tough its battery was about to die. It was Kol, again. The two of them talked about last night's party. Kol had met a girl, her name was Davina.

"She's about eighteen, I guess." Kol informed his older brother. Klaus frowned.

"Isn't this illegal in our country?" He asked.

"Even smoking weed is illegal, and nobody cares. Besides, she's hot." Kol had never seen a girl more beautiful than her. He kept talking about her, Klaus didn't really listened to his words. He got in the living room to make sure Sarah was ok, but he didn't find her on the couch. Margot wasn't there either.

"I'll call you later." He hung up. "Sarah?" He called for he niece without getting an answer back. He thought she couldn't have gone far, he hadn't heard her shutting the entrance door. He quickly checked every room of the first floor, then he climbed the stairs to reach the bedrooms. "Sarah?" He repeated her name. The little girl didn't answer back, but he heard her voice coming from one of the three bedrooms. Klaus stayed hidden behind the corner. It seemed like she was talking to someone. He looked at her. She was sitting on the floor, in the middle of the room.

"Do you live here?" She asked, while the melody of the carillon she was playing with played softly in the background. After she made her question, Klaus heard nothing but silence. "Where are your parents?" She asked again. Her eyes looked straight in front of her. Silence, again. "Don't worry, you'll find them again someday." The little girl kept saying. Klaus remembered how many times he had thought to speak to someone who existed only in his mind. He saw people, and they were so real he couldn't separate fantasy from reality. The pills he had been taking since all those years helped him controlling his visions. The doctors and his family had been telling him he was insane for so long, that he had started believing it.

"Sarah?" He got in the room, walking very slowly. "Who were you talking to?" He asked, stopping in front of her. Sarah didn't answer, she took her time. A whisper came to her mind, it suggested her what she had to say. _No one_.

"No one." The little girl repeated. Klaus knew she was lying.

"It's not true. I heard you." He insisted. Sarah stared again at an empty side of the room. Klaus looked at the corner she was staring at. He saw nothing. He sighed, then he knelt to look her in the eyes. "You can tell me." He said in a sweet tone. Sarah seemed frightened and concerned.

"_She_ doesn't want you to stay in her room." She whispered, as it was their secret. Klaus understood she was telling the truth. Her eyes spoke. He believed her, like anyone had ever believed him before, when he was a kid whose mind seemed to be broken.

"Where is she, now?" He asked again. Sarah's eyes returned on the corner. Klaus stood up, he looked at the empty space and he started walking closer to it. Margot started growling behind him. As Klaus extended his arm, he felt shivers running across his spine. It was cold.

"Stop it, she's afraid of you." Sarah was frightened, yet she didn't want her friend to be scared. Klaus stopped, then he took some steps back. Margot stopped growling, and Sarah stood up extending her arms toward her uncle. She wanted him to hold her. Klaus did as she wished, he held her tightly to make her feel safe. His eyes kept staring at the empty corner of the bedroom.

"Let's go downstairs." He comforted her, caressing her blonde hair. His little niece nodded. They remained on the couch, watching cartoons. She didn't want to be left alone, she was still afraid. "Sarah, look at me." Klaus met her blue eyes. "Don't say anything to your parents. Do you understand me? This is our secret. Promise me you won't say a word." He asked her to make him a promise. He wanted to keep her safe. Rebekah would have never understood. Nobody had ever understood him. He didn't want anyone to think his niece was insane. Sarah nodded.

"I promise." She said, lying her head on his uncle's chest, to rest.

When Rebekah and Stefan came to take Sarah back home, the little girl was sleeping on the couch. She had fallen asleep while watching cartoons. They went away before dinner. It was still raining outside, they all said the hurricane was near. Stefan drove carefully along the road. As they got in their home of Garden District, Rebekah made food and Stefan played with their little child. When he asked her what she had done with uncle Nik, she remained silent. She didn't eat much at dinner. Rebekah was sure her brother had let her daughter eat all the junk food, as usual.

"C'mon, Sarah. You need to take a bath before bed time. Say goodnight to daddy." Rebekah took the five years old girl in her arms. Sarah left a sweet kiss on her father's cheek, and Stefan smiled.

"See you tomorrow, little princess." He said. While his wife helped their daughter taking a bath, e sat on the couch to watch a football match. Rebekah filled the bathtub with warm water and soap. Sarah loved its white bubbles. She quietly played with her toys, while her mother washed her blonde hair.

"Did you have fun with uncle Nik?" She asked with a sweet smile on her lips. Little girl nodded, without saying a word. "You're quiet today, sweetie. You must be tired." Rebekah smiled again. Then, when she passed the wet, pink sponge on her daughter's back, she noticed all the scratches and the bruises. She frowned. "What..." She murmured. Sarah's skin proved that someone had hut her. Rebekah's confusion immediately left its place to anger. She didn't want to scare her daughter, so she forced herself to remain quiet and try to understand the truth behind those horrible bruises.  
"Sara, sweetie. Did uncle Nik hurt you?" She asked, looking her in the eyes. She knew her brother loved his niece, yet Niklaus had a complicated, twisted mind. He wasn't always conscious of his own actions. Even tough Rebekah trusted him, she had to remember he was a schizophrenic. Sarah immediately shook her head. Her mother didn't know if she was lying, just to protect her uncle.  
"You can tell me all the truth, sweetheart." She insisted. It seemed like Sarah had nothing to tell her. Rebekah tried hard to smile to her little girl, then she helped her getting out of the bathtub. After she put her to sleep, she couldn't help herself from letting some tears stream down her eyes. Something had happen to her daughter and she hadn't been able to protect her. She didn't say anything to Stefan.

When Klaus' phone rang he was sitting on his father's chair, behind the desk of his office, while he made some researches. He saw his sister's name on the screen and he picked up the phone. "Little sister?"

"What did you do to my daughter?" Her tone was aggressive, hurt. Klaus, at first, thought that Sarah had told her parents what had happened in the room of the second floor, in his house. He sighed and he massaged his head.

"What do you mean, Rebekah?" He asked for explanations.

"You know exactly what I mean! Sarah's back is full of scratches and bruises. She doesn't talk to me, she's shocked!" She kept blaming her brother. Klaus raised his chest and he stared at the wall in front of him. He had nothing to do with that, he didn't know how it was possible.

"You think I could hurt my niece?" He growled.

"All I know is that she was fine before I took her in your damned house!" She tried hard not to shout, she didn't want anyone to hear her. "Consider yourself lucky, Nik. I didn't tell anything to Stefan. He would kill you!"

"I didn't touch your daughter, Rebekah." Klaus insisted. He heard his sister crying and sighed, then he closed her eyes. "Now stop crying, please. Maybe she fell. Maybe some stupid kids beat her at school." Rebekah shook her head. She knew her daughter, she knew she hadn't had those bruises when she had left her house that morning.

"If I'll find out you're lying, Nik..." She murmured.

"I'm not." He said again. Rebekah didn't say anything else. She hung the phone, making Klaus return to the silence of the empty house. He sighed and he sustained his head, placing it on his hands. He knew something had happened that day, something that proved him he wasn't crazy. All he had ever seen was real. No hallucinations, no madness. Even tough he didn't want to admit it to himself, the house he was living in was haunted. Suddenly he heard some noises coming from the attic. He raised his head up and he stared at the ceiling above him. It was like somebody was walking around the third floor. Margot woke up growling softly, she was resting on the couch as she always did. Klaus stayed still for a while, waiting for the noises to end. They didn't. Somebody was in the house. He stood up and he grabbed a torch. As he started walking toward the little stairs that led to the door of the attic, Margot followed him. He was afraid, of course he was, but sometimes anger was stronger than fear. Whatever lived in the house, it had hurt his niece. He climbed the little stairs, then his hand slowly opened the door in front of him. It was dark all around. The cold light of the torch allowed him to see old stuff and boxes. Nobody was there, yet he was sure he had heard noises coming from that empty attic. It was cold, so cold that shivers were running across his arms. Margot snooped around, trying to find something. Klaus did the same. He walked slowly, looking around himself. When his eyes ended up on a wooden object, he stopped to take it in his hands. It was a ouija board. He had no idea why it was there.  
"Alright." He whispered. "You want to talk." He said. He knew he had found the board for a reason, he knew somebody was trying to tell him something. He sighed again. Every time he took a breath, white smoke left his mouth. It was the prove he wasn't alone. He remembered how it was like. He remembered what happened every time they showed themselves to him. The air became gelid and the deafening silence became unbearable. You could feel their eyes on you.  
Klaus sat on the floor, placing the board right in front of himself. He put his finger on the planchette. He had done it before, he knew the rules.  
"I know you're here. I can feel your presence." He spoke out, staring at the black letters on the wooden board. "If you'd like to talk, please, indicate it on the board." He waited a while, he kept wishing for a sign.

Caroline stood right in front of him. She had been observing him, she had tried to draw his attention to talk. She knew he was different, he had heard her call and he wasn't afraid to communicate with her. For the first time after years, she glimpsed a shade of hope in a living being. There was still a chance for her soul to find peace. She was happy like she had never been before, after the day of her death. She knelt in front of the man, then her finger slowly moved the planchette. Klaus didn't breath, until the wooden object stopped on the _yes_, written on the left side of the board. All he had imagined was turning into reality, in front of his eyes.  
"Am I speaking to a positive entity?" He struggled against his fear to show a resolute tone. Caroline kept looking at his face. He was so focused on the board, he didn't took off his eyes from it. She smiled, then her finger moved the planchette again. _Yes, _Klaus read again.  
He took his time before to formulate another question.

"Are you the entity my niece saw today?" He asked. The planchette moved toward the right side of the board. _No_.  
Klaus took another, deep breath.

"Did you die in this house?" That question made Caroline glance down. She moved the object on the _Yes_.

"Do you remember how you died?" He asked. She did, she remembered every moment of her death. _Yes. _She responded again.

"Have you been murdered?" Klaus' question made her pain grow. She stopped moving the planchette. She wasn't going to answer that. After a while of silence, he understood. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." His apology impressed her. With her lips slightly parted and her eyes still on his face, she thought nobody had ever been so kind to her, since she had died. "Would you please tell me your name?" He asked. She returned to smile. That conversation was turning into a game to her. Klaus was still frightened, but he tried hard to hide his true emotions. Caroline moved the planchette on the letters of the board. "C - a - r - o - l - i - n - e." Klaus pronounced the single letters, until her name became clear in his mind. "Caroline." He repeated. Now he knew he was talking to a girl. He took another breath. White smoke left his mouth.  
"Do you know who hurt my niece?" He asked. She did, and she was afraid to reveal him the identity of the spirit he was looking for. _Yes_. She admitted.

"Do you mind telling me his name?" Another question. Caroline took her time. She wanted to help him, even tough she was going to pay the consequences of her actions on her own skin. She started moving the planchette on the letters. "G - e - n - e - v - i - e - v - e." He pronounced. "Genevieve." He said that name. Caroline wanted him to stay safe. She kept moving the object to talk. _Evil._ Klaus read. He understood the spirit was trying to warn him. He remembered how much suffering and pain trapped souls carried with them. Somehow, he felt like he needed to do something for Caroline, to help her just like she had helped him.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" His question made the girl open her eyes wider. There was something he could do, something she hoped he would have done for her, yet things were hard. _No_. She answered. She lied. A tear of sadness streamed down her eye. Suddenly, she violently moved the planchette on the _Goodbye _sign. She stayed still, sitting on the floor. For a moment she felt like getting his help was impossible. She couldn't reveal him things from her past by moving an object on a board. She gave up to the idea of staying trapped in that house for the rest of the eternity. Klaus was upset. His breathing became slower. He glanced up, looking right at the emptiness in front of himself. Caroline met his eyes. She could see him, but he couldn't see her. All he felt was cold. All she was to him was a gelid empty space. Caroline still remembered how it was to be alive, and remembering was painful.

"Go away." She whispered, even tough she knew he couldn't ear her. Klaus extended his arm toward her, imaging she was still there, in front of him. The girl saw his hand getting closer to her face. She let him touch her cheek, but Klaus felt nothing but cold.

"Thank you, Caroline. For your help." He murmured. When he stood up he took the board with him. Caroline stayed alone in the attic, surrounded by darkness. It was still raining outside, and she was afraid of storms. She hid herself in the corner and she waited for the night to end.

* * *

**Thank you to those who followed, liked and reviewed the first chapter, it means a lot. The second one, as you can see, is a little longer. I hoped you enjoyed the reading. The story will get creepier very soon. You asked if there will be romance between Klaus and Caroline. Yes, you can be sure of that! In the next chapter Klaus will be finally able to see her, they will have new interactions. Caroline's past is very dark and sad, so she needs time to trust Klaus enough to reveal him how he can help her.  
**

******Check my Pinterest account to see the Oblivion's album: imstormborn/oblivion/**

**Please, leave a review to let me know your thoughts about the story! Xx**

**- Ilaria. **


	3. III chapter

**Oblivion** - _III_

When Klaus climbed down the stairs of the attic with Margot, he remembered to go to the laundry to take all the washed blankets and prepare the bed for the night. He couldn't leave the house, _his_ house. There was absolutely no chance he returned to the little apartment in the French Quarter that he shared with Marcel, his best friend. Besides, life was offering him a chance to prove he wasn't insane. Every thing he had ever seen was real, ghosts were real. He wasn't leaving that place, he wasn't afraid of dead people. While he put all the sheets in a plastic basket, he kept thinking about what had happened in the attic. He knew the names of only two entities, but he knew there were three of them in the house: Caroline, Genevieve, and the little girl her niece Sarah had met in the guest's bedroom, upstairs. He knew for sure that one of them, Genevieve, was a negative spirit.  
As soon as he finished preparing the bed he got in the bathroom and he took off his clothes, waiting for the water of the shower to get hot enough. He watched his reflection in the mirror. He was pale, and the black circles around his eyes proved that he hadn't slept enough the night before.  
When he got in the shower he let the water fall softly on his naked body. He closed his eyes and he put his hand against the wall, trying to relax after the last turn of events. After a few minutes he noticed the vapor had fogged every glass of the shower box. The room seemed to be wrapped in smoke. He got out and he grabbed a white towel he tied around his hips.  
When his eyes stopped on the clouded up mirror, his blood froze in his veins. He saw all those hands' imprints on the glass. Somebody had been there, or maybe somebody _was_ still there. "Fuck." He murmured. He walked closer toward the mirror and he passed his own hand on it, to remove all the imprints.  
As the reflection became clear again, after the first wipe, he saw the shape of a woman behind him.  
His heart skipped a beat. He turned without thinking, his eyes wide open and his lips parted. Nobody was there, nobody he could actually see.  
He stayed still, while the image of the woman was blurry in his mind. She had long, red hair, and her lips were curved in a smirk.  
Klaus' breath was fast, he was sweating and it wasn't because of the hot vapor in the bathroom. He quickly got out, shutting the door behind him, and he grabbed his notebook. The black ink started creating a draw of his memory. He drew that woman, he drew every detail he could remember.  
_Genevieve? _He wrote under the portrait.  
His eyes starred at it for a while, until he closed the notebook again. He locked it inside an old drawer. Nobody had to find it. Sleeping was hard. He couldn't close his eyes without opening them again to make sure things were alright around him. Margot was right by his side, she would have started barking if only an entity showed up in the bedroom. When he finally fell asleep, nightmares haunted his mind, bringing back old memories.

The storm woke Klaus up next day. The windows trembled under the strength of the wind. The hurricane had never been more close. "Alright. It's time to go in the basement, Margot." He warned his dog, who raised her head to look at him, confused. He wore a pair of jeans, a shirt and a sweatshirt. He took also a blanket for Margot. He brought his notebook with him, then he climbed the stairs to get in the basement. Since there were no windows, he turned on the cold light of the torch after he locked the door. Suddenly, he heard somebody crying. It was a woman's voice. Klaus stayed on the stairs, moving the torch to see who was hiding there.  
"Hey, where are you?" He asked, but the crying didn't stop. As he pointed the light against a corner, he saw a blonde girl seated on the floor, crouched up against the wall. She was hiding her face in her arms, while her knees were bent against her chest. Klaus took some steps ahead. "Hey?" He said again. The girl finally looked up to meet his eyes. She looked shocked, her face was pale. It seemed like she had been crying all night long. She was just a young, frightened girl. Margot barked and she ran toward her, just to get some cuddles. The stranger didn't make a move at first, then she extended her hand toward the light to protect her eyes from it. Klaus walked closer and he bent on his knees as soon as he got in front of her. "Are you ok? How did you get in my house?" He asked. His tone wasn't angry, he thought she was just trying to find a shelter because of the storm. He wasn't going to ask her to leave, since a hurricane was coming. The girl's lips were parted.

"You..." She murmured. Klaus raised his eyebrows. "You can see me." She kept saying. He thought she was shocked. Perhaps she had gotten lost in the middle of nowhere, and his house was the first, safe place she had found to protect herself from the pouring rain and the thunders.

"How did you get here?" He asked again. The girl kept looking him in the eyes, just as she had already done the night before, in the attic. She couldn't tell him she actually _lived_ here. Klaus didn't insist, she was definitely shocked. He took her hand, and he felt how cold she was. The girl jumped a little bit. He could actually touch her, and _feel_ her. "You're freezing. How long have you been hiding in the basement?" He took off his sweatshirt and he gave it to her. Caroline looked at it and she shook her head. She couldn't take it. She couldn't let him freeze to protect a dead girl.

"No, please. Keep it." She whispered in a weak tone. Klaus insisted, he put his grey sweatshirt around her shoulders.

"Why were you crying?" He asked another question. Caroline could barely speak. After all those years, somebody could see her again. Somebody who was still alive. And that guys was so kind to her. She felt his perfume around her, his sweatshirt made her feel safe.

"I'm... afraid of storms." She admitted. And she was afraid of the house. Every time thunders made everything tremble around her, she started crying and she hid herself in the basement, since noises were a little softer under the ground. She had always been frightened by storms, even when she was alive. She used to put her head under the pillow and wait for them to end.

"Well, you're safe now. You mustn't be afraid. What is your name?" He asked. She looked much younger than him, he was sure she was still a high school student. Caroline hesitated. She had always been a bad liar.

"My name is _Caroline_." She kept looking at his deep, blue eyes after that whisper left her mouth. Klaus remembered the conversation he had had with the entity that haunted his house. Her name was Caroline, and that wasn't a coincidence. His lips slowly parted. He watched every detail of the girl's face, then he noticed the bruises around her neck. He couldn't speak, nor move. Caroline covered her bruises by keeping Klaus' sweatshirt tight around her shoulders. During those moments of silence, he kept telling himself she wasn't there to hurt him. She was a positive entity. "Please, don't be afraid of me." She begged. She wanted him to be her friend. Her first friend, after a long time.

"I can see you... _how_?" He tried to find answers to his questions. Caroline shook her head.

"I don't know." She admitted. Even tough she had no idea _how_, she was glad he could. Suddenly, the growl of a thunder made her jump and tremble. She looked around herself, on the verge of crying.

"Shh, it's everything alright." Klaus placed his hands on her arms. She had been nice to him during their first talk, he was just trying to show her kindness. Caroline stayed still, she looked him in the eyes, while fear and pain didn't let her go.

"I'm so tired of being alone." She cried out. Klaus realized she was just a lost girl, no mattered how she had died, or when it had happened. Her soul had been suffering so much, he wasn't sure she could handle more pain. He took her in his arms and he sat by her side. Caroline hid her face against his chest, while he caressed her blonde hair.

"You won't be alone anymore, I promise." He whispered. She found comfort in his voice.

"I miss my mom." She cried again. She missed her mother Liz everyday more. Last time she had seen her, she was mourning her daughter's death on the stairs of the house. Then she had never come back. Caroline believed her mom didn't want to remember her, she didn't want to remember all the pain she had suffered. Klaus didn't know anything about her, he didn't know when she had died, he didn't know if her mother was still alive.

"You can talk me about her, if you want." He invited her to speak. "What is your mother's name?" He asked, keeping Caroline in his arms to make her feel a little less alone.

"Liz." Caroline murmured. "Liz Forbes." She repeated. "I made her suffer so much." She pressed her face against Klaus' chest. He didn't want to ask her about her death. He had done it before, but it hadn't ended well. He had to find out more, but he had to do it by himself.

"Hey, don't you dare even think it. Not even for a moment. Your mother loves you, do you understand me?" He spoke close to her ear. He knew Caroline needed just words of comfort. She looked up to meet his eyes again.

"You don't know it. You can't be sure of it." She said in a sad tone.

"On the contrary, love, I know it. I always know everything, and I'm always right." He said. His arrogance was useful, sometimes. He smiled to her, and he made her smile back.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I cried all over your shirt!" She saw her tears on Klaus' shirt and she blushed. Klaus laughed, he didn't care much about that. On the contrary, it proved him she was real, she wasn't only the result of one of his visions.

"It's fine, sweetheart. You can cry on my shirt whenever you want, if it helps." He smiled. She saw how cute his smile was. Every time his lips curved, dimples showed up on his cheeks. She smiled too. She loved being so close to him, she could feel how warm he was, and it made her feel alive. She put her head against his chest again, until Klaus spoke again. "I need to show you something, Caroline. Would you help me, again?" He asked.

"Of course. What is it?" She asked back. Klaus grabbed the notebook he had left on the floor and he leafed through the pages, until he found his last draw. He gave it to her, to show her the woman's portrait.

"Do you know her?" Caroline trembled, while her eyes watched the drawing. It felt so real.

"It's her. It's Genevieve. When did you see her? If she's mad at you, you must leave this house as soon as you can! She's evil, Nik, and she will try to hurt you." She knew she was going to make her mad, just giving Klaus her help. Klaus didn't care. Dead people couldn't hurt him. He realized she had called him Nik, he smiled softly. He was sure she had heard Sarah calling him like that.

"If I leave the house, you'll remain alone again." He made her notice. Caroline shook her head.

"I don't care." She lied. If letting him go meant to make him stay alive, she was ready to stay alone for a thousand years more.

"I'll make you a promise, then. I'll leave this place, as long as you let me help you. I know you want something from me. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to see you." Every soul who was still trapped on earth needed to be rescued in order to find peace. Klaus wanted to give Caroline her peace. The girl thought about it. She wasn't ready to reveal everything to him, she was too shy to do it.

"I... I will let you help me." She murmured, glancing down. "But I don't want to talk about me, now." Klaus nodded, he respect her will.

"Fine then, we'll wait until the storm ends." He said. Caroline smiled, then she let her head rest against his chest, again. She leafed through the pages of his notebook to look at his draws. He was a good artist. They remained close. Caroline had never felt so safe in a man's arms. Her ex, Tyler, was a jerk. Her father, Bill, was a pervert asshole. Only thinking about him made her shiver. She would have liked to let her mother know everything about her husband. A few hours later, when Klaus stood up to go and check if the storm was gone, Caroline took his hand to keep him from making another step.

"Wait!" She said. Klaus looked at her, confused.

"What?" He asked. Suddenly, Caroline felt like she was blushing, even tough she couldn't.

"I won't let you go out there. If something bad will happen to you, you might get hurt. But me... Nothing could happen to me, since I'm already dead." It was hard to admit it, but as the time passed she was getting used to the idea of being dead. She stood up. "Stay here." She said. Klaus barely accepted the fact that he was still a weak and fragile living man.

"Nonsense. We'll go together, love. So the girl who's afraid of thunders can keep me _safe_." He joked, getting closer to her pretty face. Caroline crossed her arms to her chest, giving him a challenging glance.

"I just wanted to be nice!" She complained, then she followed him toward the stairs. Right before he opened the door, he extended his left arm toward her to make her stay back. Caroline was surprised. Even tough he knew she was nothing but the lost soul of a dead body, he wanted to make sure she was safe. The storm was gone. The hurricane hadn't hit New Orleans. Now the sky was still grey, but the rain fell weakly on the ground and the wind was soft. "Thank God it's over!" Caroline said, taking a breath of relief. Klaus started to realize he had spent a good hour with a ghost. There was nothing normal about it.

"Indeed." He said, turning toward her to give her his eyes. "What happened to your neck, sweetheart? Who did that to you?" He started asking questions. She had made him a promise, she had to tell him how he could help her. In order to do so, he needed to know everything about her past. Caroline kept his sweatshirt around her body. She tried to keep her bruises hidden, then she glanced down.

"I don't want to talk about it." She murmured. Klaus sighed.

"Listen, I know it's hard..." He started. Caroline frowned.

"Oh, you know it? I don't think so, since you're still alive. Since you still have a long life to live. Since you can still make all your dreams come true." She made him notice in a strict tone.

"You're blaming me because I'm still alive!" He complained, laughing nervously.

"_I'm blaming you_ because you don't seem to understand how _hard_ it is for me to remember!" She shouted. Hearing Klaus' silence she rolled her eyes, then she walked away.

"Caroline..." He tried to call her name in order to stop her, telling himself that maybe he had said something wrong.

"Leave me alone." She said, and she kept walking as far as she could. She disappeared as she turned the corner. Klaus remained alone, surrounded by that deep silence. Margot was sitting by his side, she was starring at him. He looked at the dog and he sighed.

"Don't say anything." He said. Klaus wanted to make some researches. If Caroline didn't want to tell him anything else about her past, he had to find out all the details by himself. He also wanted to know everything about his house, he was sure he was going to find some stories online. He left home with Margot and he drove toward the city Library, it was the biggest one in the whole New Orleans. He showed his most seducing smile to the lady behind the secretary's desk, so she allowed him to bring the dog inside. He walked silently across the hallways, everyone around him seemed busy. He sat on a chair behind a desk and he started making his researches. "Let's start." He whispered.  
_Caroline Forbes._ He pressed her name on Google. The web was full of information. The first link brought to a online journal, the _New Orleans mystery. _Klaus clicked on it. He saw Caroline's photo on the left side of the page. She was wearing a high school, red cheerleader uniform. She was smiling, and her smile was bright and genuine. Klaus read the girl had committed suicide. Nobody knew why, nobody knew if somebody had made her do it. She had been found dead by her mother, hanged in the attic of their family house. Klaus understood the reason of the bruises around her neck. Every web site told the same story.  
He found an article about her funeral, all the journalists focused on her parents. Everyone thought they were hiding important secrets about their daughter's death. Klaus read the name of the cemetery in which her body had been buried. The _Lafayette Cemetery_. After he printed on white paper all the informations he had found, he left the library to visit her grave. _Caroline Forbes. Our beloved daughter. 1994 - 2011. _She had died when she was seventeen. When Klaus read the engraving, he realized everything he had been seeing was true. He wasn't insanse. He had bought her flowers, some white roses he carefully put in a vase, by the grave.

"I didn't know Caroline's friends still visit her." A feminine voice drew Klaus' attention. He turned and he saw a blonde woman standing behind him. She was smiling softly. Seeing Klaus' confusion she made some steps ahead, then she extended her hand toward him. "Liz Forbes." She revealed him her name. Klaus understood she was Caroline's mother, he knew her name.

"Niklaus Mikaelson." He said, gently shaking the woman's hand. Liz looked at Caroline's photo on the grave.

"She was a beautiful girl. God took her away from us too soon." She whispered.

"God is demanding. He wants the most beautiful angels to be in his reign, by his side." Klaus said. He knew Caroline had never met God, she had never seen the light. Her soul was stuck, she was still looking for justice. Liz looked at him, she smiled after she heard his comforting words. Even after three years, it was still hard to accept that her little girl was gone.

"Did you go to school with her?" She asked. Klaus looked older than Caroline, but Liz knew her daughter had had many friends. Maybe he was a last year's student when Caroline had died.

"No. Actually... I've never met Caroline when she was still alive." He admitted. Liz frowned.

"What are you, a journalist?" She asked, accusingly. Journalists had been tormenting her life for a long time, after her daughter had committed suicide. Klaus immediately shook his head.

"No, I'm just..." He tried to find the right words. "My biological father spent his last days in the house in which your daughter died. Now I live there." He explained. He couldn't lie. He wanted to gain that woman's trust, and lying wasn't the right option. Liz's lips were slightly parted. She didn't know what to say.

"Why are you here?" She asked. Klaus didn't have an answer to that question. He didn't know why he was there. "Leave my daughter's soul alone." She said.

"Caroline is looking for justice." He said back. Liz couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"Go away. Now." Her anger was about to make her cry.

"She misses you. She needs your help." Klaus insisted, telling her what Caroline had told him that morning, in the basement. Liz kept thinking he was just an arrogant boy who had no idea of what he was talking about.

"Caroline needs only peace! And you don't have any right to pronounce her name. You didn't know her. You don't know what her father and I have been through when she killed herself! They accused us of our daughter's death!" She cried out. Klaus didn't want to make her cry, yet she didn't seem to have any intention to listen to his words. He told himself that maybe he had been too invasive. "Now leave. And don't come back to her grave." Klaus glanced down.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, then he walked away and he left Liz alone.  
When Klaus came back home, the place looked empty like never before. He ate lunch, then he remembered himself he had to take care of the house. It was falling to pieces, somebody had to paint the walls. He started to get rid of every piece of fornutire he didn't like. That was his home, and he had to make some design changes. When Margot started to dig a hole in the yard, barking and howling, Klaus took her back inside. Caroline watched him from the attic's window, while he took care of the flowers in the garden. She felt sorry for what had happened that morning, she had been rude to him. When the sun faded, she decided to speak to him again. She climbed down the stairs while he was making dinner and she stayed still, behind him. Klaus felt her presence. "Are you hungry, love?" He asked. Caroline was still wearing his sweatshirt. She had kept it all day long, because she felt his perfume on it.

"I'm here to give you your sweatshirt back." She lied. She wasn't hungry. Truth to be told, she didn't remember the last time she had eaten. Klaus didn't turn to look at her face, he was too busy making food.

"You can keep it. It's yours." He said. Caroline took her time to speak again.

"I'm sorry... For what I said this morning." She whispered. Klaus sighed, then he turned to meet her eyes.

"You were right." He admitted. "I've been arrogant and invasive. What happened to you it's not my business. Yet, I can't help myself from being myself." His meeting with Liz had changed his vision. Caroline's mother had made him understand he was just a stranger who had no rights to ask about her daughet's past. Yet, he was still a stubborn man. He wasn't going to give up. They shared a deep glance, then he turned again to keep cooking. "I met your mother, today." He said. Caroline's eyes were wide open.

"What?" She asked.

"I visited your grave, and she was there. Now she has all the reasons of this world to hate me." He kept saying.

"You visited... You visited my grave?" She asked. For a moment, she forgot about what he had said about her mother. She couldn't understand why. Why he was showing so much interest toward a suicidal, seventeen years old girl.

"Yes, love, I did. And once again, I've been reckless." He admitted. He put the food in a plate and he left it on the table. Caroline kept silently thinking.

"Well... I did something wrong too." She revealed. Klaus gave her his eyes, then he placed his back against the kitchen's counter, waiting for her to speak. He told himself there was nothing worst than invading somebody else's privacy. Caroline acted shy. She kept glancing down. She couldn't choose the right words.  
"I was the one who hid your pills." She admitted, then she closed her eyes and she waited for him to get angry.

"What? Why?" He asked. He was angry, but not _that much _angry.

"You didn't need them, Nik! They kept you from seeing me. I wanted you to see me, and..." She started to look for some good reasons. She sighed, then she looked him in the eyes. "You're not insane. No matter what everyone says. Your mind is different, and it's beautiful. You have a gift." She was the first one who saw it like that. Nobody had ever spoke to him like that about his _gift_. Klaus remained silent for awhile, then he sighed.

"You said you wanted me to see you. Now I do." He made her notice. "And I still want to help you." He kpet saying. He took some steps ahead, until he extended his hands to put her blonde hair behind her neck. He uncovered her bruises. The rope she had used to hang herself had left its marks. "Why did you commit suicide?" His question made her blue, beautiful eyes get filled with tears. She found comfort in his look.

"There's something you need to see." She whispered.

* * *

**Thank you again to everyone who reviewed, liked and followed! What do you think about Klaus and Caroline's interactions? Will Liz ever forgive Klaus? Caroline is gonna reveal him all her secrets in the next chapter, and it's gonna be heart breaking. Kol will appear in the next chapter.  
**

**Remember to review! Xx  
**

**- Ilaria.**


	4. IV chapter

**Oblivion** - _IV_

_"You said you wanted me to see you. Now I do." He made her notice. "And I still want to help you." He kpet saying. He took some steps ahead, until he extended his hands to put her blonde hair behind her neck. He uncovered her bruises. The rope she had used to hang herself had left its marks. "Why did you commit suicide?" His question made her blue, beautiful eyes get filled with tears. She found comfort in his look._

_"There's something you need to see." She whispered._

* * *

Klaus didn't say anything else. He waited for Caroline to find the courage to take his hand, and lead him toward the staircase. He climbed the stairs behind her, he kept his eyes on her cold hand that held his one. Caroline was still insecure. She was afraid of showing him all the truth behind her suicide. She was afraid of what he could have thought about her. All she needed to do was giving him her trust, but it was harder than she had expected. After all what had happened to her, it wasn't easy trusting a man, again. They got to the attic, where they had met for the first time. All around them it was still dark. The light of the moon that came from the windows was soft, but it let them seeing something through the darkness. Caroline took a deep breath, then she stopped walking in the middle of the room. She was still giving her back at Klaus. He was confused, yet he knew she needed to take time. When she gave her eyes at him, he stayed silent, and he let her talk.

"Promise me you won't think bad of me." She asked him to make her a promise. He had no idea of what to expect. Seeing how insecure and upset she was, he took a step ahead to put his hands on her shoulders. He noticed she was still wearing his sweatshirt, even tough it was way too big for her.

"Whatever you'll show me, love, I won't ever think bad of you." He guaranteed. "I promise." He gave her his word. He knew she was a good girl. Her sweet smile didn't tell otherwise. He kept telling himself she had had reasons to put an end to her own life. A happy girl would have never killed herself. Her blue, deep eyes hid something that he wanted to find out. He could glimpse a hidden sadness behind her kind look. Caroline heard the words she needed to hear. She took another breath, then she walked toward a box. She rummaged through all the old objects until her fingers grabbed a little, black USB drive. She got back to Klaus, and she lent it to him.

"Here you'll find everything you need to know." She whispered, while her eyes were still full of tears. Klaus took the little object, he observed it. "All you have to do is giving it to my mom." Caroline kept saying. Klaus saw she was crying. Many thoughts were crossing his mind, yet he was just trying to imagine how many secrets were hidden inside a USB drive. He got closer to her, and he surrounded her trembling body in his arms.

"Hey... It's alright." He murmured, trying to comfort her. Caroline knew that nothing was fine. Her mother's life was about to change forever. She cried in Klaus' arms, she hugged him back. A part of her wanted to confess him all her secrets. After years of silence, she wanted to free herself from that heavy burden, and Klaus was the only one who was there to listen to her. She raised her head to look him in the eyes, she tried to hold back the tears.

"Before I died I stole the files from my father's laptop. I knew he would have deleted all the evidences after my death. I hid them in a safe place and I wrote a note to my mom, but she never found it. She never came back to the house." Caroline explained. Ending her life was the hardest decision she had ever taken, and maybe was the worst one too. She hadn't been strong enough to keep living after what her father had done to her. Klaus could feel her pain. They shared a deep connection. It happened when a soul tried so hard to use you as a way to come back to reality. The girl passed her hand against her cheek to dry the tears.

"What did he do to you?" Klaus asked, looking for answers to all his questions. Caroline hesitated. It wasn't easy to talk about it, and she wasn't going to.

"You'll find the answer by yourself." She said, looking at the USB drive. After some moments of silence, she took some steps ahead to leave a soft kiss on Klaus' cheek. She believed it was the right way to thank him. She felt like she was blushing, even tough it wasn't possible. Klaus' lips were parted, as he felt her cold skin touching him again. They shared a last look, before she walked away. He didn't try to stop her, he realized that maybe she didn't want to be there while he found out all her secrets. He didn't waste time before going to his father's, old office. He sat on the armchair behind the desk and he turned the laptop on. He inserted the drive inside the USB port, then he waited. Time seemed to pass slowly.  
Suddenly a file filled with plenty of videos appeared on the screen. Klaus scrolled through it, he was shocked by the amount of stuff. He clicked on one of the many videos and he pressed _play_.

* * *

_Caroline was studying in her room. It was late night, but she had a math test she couldn't fail, next day. Her mother was out for work, she was a police officer. She had never been present enough in her daughter's life. Caroline was feeling sick. It was fear. It made her nausea become unbearable. No mattered how hard she tried to not think about it, her mind kept reminding her that her father was in the house with her.  
He had forbidden her to go out with friends. He wanted her to stay home. Caroline couldn't even lock herself in her own room, Bill had broke the door. She was nothing but his toy. Every time she tried to run from him, he found a way to catch her and punish her. When he was angry, it was more painful. Caroline had learnt to not give him any reason to be mad at her. The only way she could save herself, was telling everything to her mother. Was she brave enough to do it? She kept thinking it would have been a selfish decision. Her mother loved her husband so much that she was blind, she couldn't see what had been happening under her own roof for years. Caroline's plan was to go away from New Orleans. She would have run away, and she would have never come back.  
When the fear became unbearable, she took her phone and she looked for Tyler's name among the contacts. _

_"Pick up the phone." She whispered. Tyler was her boyfriend, they had been together for five months. She wasn't sure she truly loved him, but he was her only salvation. She had never given herself to him, sex was a difficult matter. Every time Tyler tried to start something, she felt like her father's hands were all over her body, again. Often she threw up. She believed Tyler thought she was a little insane. He didn't answer the phone. Caroline sighed, then her eyes returned to the math book. When she heard the noise of steps getting closer, her blood froze in her veins. She didn't turn, not even when she heard the door opening behind her. She started breathing slowly, to keep calm, while her whole body was hard as stone, and her eyes were stuck on the book's pages. Bill placed his camera where it had a good view of the room, then he got closed to his daughter. He caressed her blonde hair, and Caroline jumped, while her heart skipped a beat. _

_"Daddy's girl is still studying." His whisper made her wanna puke. "You're such a good daughter." He said again, showing her the lump in his pants, while he unbuttoned his trousers. Caroline turned her face to look at the other side, but Bill took her chin to force her to keep her eyes on him. He tightly grabbed her hair to make her stand. Caroline tried to free herself from her father's gasp. He held her tight, keeping her back close to his body. _

_"Let go of me, please." She begged in a soft whisper, keeping her eyes close. She couldn't cry, nor scream. She just felt the need to throw up. _

_"I love it when you beg me." Her father said, close to her ear. His hands were all over her young body. He pulled up her skirt, then he pushed Caroline against her desk to force her to bend. He kept her hands behind her back, holding her wrists. He didn't give her much freedom, after all the times she had punched him, scratched him or slapped him. Caroline was tired of fighting him. She was tired of being defeated. She told herself she had to stay quiet, in order to let him finish as soon as possible. She was also tired of crying. While her father violently pushed himself inside of her, she kept her eyes close, and she struggled against the pain. She started thinking about something else. She focused on the math's test. It was going to end, she kept telling it to herself._

* * *

Klaus stopped the video before it ended. He had seen enough. He realized it was all true. He had been thinking about that possibility, and now he was sure Caroline's father had been raping her for way too long. He was wrathful, of course he was. Even tough it wasn't his cause, his only wish was to kill that sick bastard. To give him what he deserved. He took the USB drive and he hid it inside the locked drawer. Nobody had to take it, until he would have given it to Liz Forbes. He turned, and when he looked up at the door he saw Caroline. She was standing with a guilty look in her eyes. Klaus couldn't understand why. Why she hadn't told anyone about what her father was doing to her. It seemed like she was ashamed of herself, and she was. She hated the fact that Klaus had seen her while she was so vulnerable. For some reasons, she cared about what he thought of her.  
They shared a look, then Caroline glanced down. Klaus walked fast, he went out of the office to reach his bedroom.

"Nik? Where are you going?" She asked, following him toward his room. He didn't answer back. He knew she wouldn't have liked what he was going to do, but he didn't care. His wrath didn't let him think about the consequences of his actions. Suddenly, he grabbed the gun he hid under the pillow of his bed. Caroline jumped, seeing the weapon he was holding. "What are you doing?" She shouted. Klaus made sure the gun was loaded.

"I'm giving to that son of a bitch what he deserves." He said roughly. Caroline eyes were wide open. She thought he was out of his mind. She immediately closed the door of the bedroom, locking him inside with her.

"You're not going anywhere!" She shouted again. "Put down the gun! You can't just shoot to my father!" She tried to make him think. Klaus didn't seem to care about her words. He got closer to the door, but Caroline stood right in front of him, to not let him pass.

"Open the door." He said. For the first time somebody was showing her she was loved. He cared about her enough to kill someone who had harmed her. Tyler had never done it for her. Nobody had. For a moment, she wished she had met Klaus before killing herself.

"I won't let you put yourself in trouble because of me." She said. Her tone became calm. Her blue, beautiful, and deep eyes sank into Klaus' look. He couldn't control his wrath. He could only imagine himself killing that asshole. He couldn't even explain himself _why_. He had always been a selfish person. He wasn't a hero. He didn't save innocent, lost, and suicidal girls everyday. But everything was different when it came to Caroline. She didn't deserve anything bad, but life had been cruel to her, and he couldn't accept it. Seeing the look in his eyes, Caroline took his hand, the one that was holding the gun. They were close, so close that she could feel his warmth, and he could feel her coldness. "Give me the gun." She whispered, looking at his beautiful hand. Klaus sighed softly, and he let it go. He told himself it wasn't his battle the one he was fighting. It was all up to Caroline. She took the weapon and she saw how upset he was. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid. I want you to stay safe. Promise me!"

"I promise." He murmured. Caroline threw herself in Klaus' arms. She had many reasons to look for comfort. He closed his eyes, and he surrounded her body in a hug. His left hand kept her head close to his chest. "I'm sorry. I lost my mind." He tried to justify himself. Caroline smiled softly, feeling his good perfume around her.

"Nobody had ever tried to defend me as you did tonight." She revealed him. She looked up, to meet his beautiful eyes again. "Thank you." She whispered. He glanced at her, and he got lost in the act. Her beauty was genuine, and he couldn't believe someone was able to ruin her purity. Suddenly, through the silence, they both heard the doorbell ringing. The sound interrupted their moment. Caroline frowned. "Were you waiting for someone?" She asked.

"Actually, no." He said. In that moment they realized how close they were. Caroline felt like she was blushing, again, and she immediately pulled back her arms that surrounded Klaus' waist. He did the same, then he took the gun from her hand to hide it again under his pillow. "It must be my brother." Klaus said while climbing down the stairs. Caroline followed him, as she was used to do.

"Your brother?" She asked. She knew he had a sister, but she knew nothing about a brother. When Klaus opened the door, he saw Kol waiting behind it. He wasn't alone, a young, cute, brunette girl was right by his side. Caroline didn't move. They couldn't see her, nobody could. Nobody except Klaus. A big smile immediately appeared on the guy's face. He opened his arms to hug his big brother.

"Nik! I hope you're not busy." He said. He didn't really care if he was busy, he just wanted to introduce Davina to a member of his family. "What happened to you? It seems like you just saw a ghost! Don't be too excited to see your little brother again!" Kol joked. Klaus forced himself to smile.

"I'm fine, Kol. I see you have a friend." He noticed, keeping his eyes on the girl. Kol put his arm around Davina's shoulders. He looked so proud with his new girlfriend by his side.

"May I introduce you Davina Claire, my girlfriend." Kol spoke proudly. "Davina, he is my big brother Nik. He can seem a little weird at first, but he's totally a good guy." His smile didn't fade. Klaus kindly extended his hand toward the girl, Davina shook it shyly. She blushed, maybe because it was the first time someone introduced her to his family.

"It's nice to meet you!" She exclaimed. Klaus thought she was way too nice for his brother.

"The pleasure is all mine, sweetheart." He said back. Then he showed them the way in. "Please, come inside." They both walked in. Davina immediately cuddled Margot, who lay on her back to show her belly. The girl bent on the floor, while Kol and Klaus walked toward the kitchen.

"Kol! Look how cute she is!" Davina laughed, calling for her boyfriend. Kol looked at her from the kitchen, while Klaus poured some alcohol in their glasses.

"You two look adorable, darling." He said back. He was proud of his new girlfriend, even though she was different from any other girl he had had. She was a good, adorable girl. He kept telling himself he was going to marry her soon. Kol was always resolute. When he wanted something, he took it. He was also pretty impatient. He didn't care about her age, he didn't care they both had to finish their studies yet, he just wanted to marry her. Klaus stopped himself before pouring some bourbon in Davina's glass. She wasn't even twenty one, she wasn't allowed to drink. "Oh, just some coke for her. Her father would kill me if I gave her alcohol." Kol laughed.

"Now you like good girls, little brother?" Klaus hid a smirk, pouring coke in Davina's glass.

"She's not just a good girl. She is my _soulmate_." Kol explained. Klaus was skeptical. Caroline listened to their conversation with a smile on her lips.

"Well, good for you." His older brother said, without sharing all the excitement.

"She's going to meet our parents next Sunday. I want to marry her, Nik." He revealed. Klaus drank some of his bourbon, then he frowned.

"_Marry her_? Is she pregnant or are you just out of your mind?" He asked.

"Pregnant? She doesn't even let me to touch her! You don't understand. She is the right one!" He exclaimed again. He was totally out of his mind, or maybe he was just in love. Klaus sighed.

"Which is wonderful, Kol, but she's like sixteen." He made him notice. Kol pointed his finger against him.

"She's eighteen." He corrected him, drinking his bourbon. Caroline laughed, she put her hand on her mouth to stop, she was afraid somebody could hear her. Klaus looked at her with a smile on his face. Kol frowned, then he looked toward the same direction as Klaus and he saw just an empty space. He kept telling himself his brother was weirdo. He shook his head, then he looked at his girlfriend, who reached them in the kitchen. Davina took her glass.

"I didn't know you had a kid, Nik." She smiled, drinking some coke. Kol surrounded her with his arm, then he gave a look to his brother.

"Yeah, I didn't know that either." He admitted.

"It's because I _don't_ have a kid." Klaus said, confused. Davina frowned, but her sweet smile stayed on her beautiful, full lips.

"Oh. So... you're just babysitting?" She innocently asked.

"_Babysitting_?" He asked back. He had no idea what she was talking about. Davina nodded, even if she was starting to become uncertain. She quickly extended her hand toward the living room.

"Yeah, I saw the little girl in the living room." She said. Klaus' blood froze. His expression changed, and Kol noticed that. "Something's wrong?" Davina asked again. Klaus didn't say anything back, he just walked fast toward the living room. It was empty. Nobody was there. The little girl that his niece Sarah had seen wasn't there. Caroline followed him, she looked around herself to find the kid. Kol and Davina reached him a little later.

"Are you sure it's coke the thing she's drinking?" Kol asked to his older brother. Nobody was ready to joke. Davina was literally shaking from fear.

"She was there! I swear to God she was sitting on the couch!" She cried out. She didn't like that house. It was creepy, and cold, and she just wanted to get back in the car. Kol tried to calm her down, by keeping her in his arms. Klaus kept looking for the little girl in every room of the first floor. She was nowhere to be found. "I want to go home." Davina murmured to her boyfriend.

"Shh, calm down, darling. It was just a child. Right?" He tried to comfort her. Caroline followed Klaus, everywhere he went. As soon as he got back to the living room, she put her hand on his shoulder.

"It was just Katelyn. She loves scaring people." She told him. Klaus listened to her, but he didn't let anyone notice it.

"I think you should take her home." He said to Kol, who, on the contrary, was pretty excited at the idea of seeing a ghost. Davina was pale, and she was still shaking.

"Are you kidding me? We must make a spirit box session and film it!" He proposed. Klaus rolled his eyes, then he sighed.

"It's time for you guys to go home." Klaus led them toward the door, ignoring Kol's words. He had no idea of how dangerous it was. He had no idea about the consequences. Klaus did, and he wasn't going to drag them in the darkness with him. "Goodnight." He said, right before to shut the door in Kol's face. In that moment he realized that no living men could be in the house, nobody except himself. Caroline stayed by his side. She was sorry for what had just happened. Many souls of the house wouldn't have left him alone so easily. As soon as they both turned, they saw the little Katelyn smirking in front of them. She was pale, and long, black hair fell on her shoulders. She seemed sick. She had died because of a strong fever in 1890.

"Get back in your room, Katy!" Caroline shouted at her. The little girl giggled, then she ran upstairs. Klaus passed his hand on his face. He thought he would have gone out of his mind. Caroline saw how tired he looked. "You need to rest." She said. Klaus nodded. She was right, he just needed to get some sleep. Sleeping in a haunted house wasn't easy. Klaus was slowly getting used to the idea of not being alone, yet it was hard to free his mind from any thought, to give a break to his body and brain. He was constantly worried about what could have happened.

"I guess you're right, sweetheart." For a moment, he thought about inviting Caroline in his bed, but then he realized it would have sounded dirty. Caroline nodded back.

"Goodnight, then." She smiled. She was starting to feel the embarrassment. Klaus pressed his lips. He gave her a last smile, then he walked toward the staircase, and he stopped himself from taking another step.

"Caroline..." He called her name, turning toward her. She had gone. He saw nothing but emptiness around himself. He looked around, then he sighed. "Never mind." He murmured. He climbed the stairs, and Margot followed him, as usual. When he got under the sheets of his bed he tried hard to ignore all the noises coming from the third floor. He had locked the door of his bedroom, even tough he knew it wouldn't have stopped any entity of the house from getting in. When he finally fell asleep, Caroline stopped trying so hard to hide herself from his eyes. She quietly sat on the edge of his bed, and she stared at him the whole time. She wanted to stay with him, in order to protect him from Genevieve. Staying in the house meant to provoke the wrath of the negative spirits that had been haunting it since the beginning. Although she wanted to keep him safe and alive, she also didn't want to let him go away from her. He was her only friend, and she liked him. It was selfish of her, but she desired to keep him with her, as long as she could. She extended her hand toward his face, then she softly caressed his cheek, and a sweet smile showed up on her pale lips.

* * *

When Klaus woke up, next day, he heard someone shouting in the yard. Margot kept barking and growling against the window of the bedroom. He quickly got out of bed to check what was going on outside. He saw, from the window, two kids throwing rocks against the house. They thought nobody lived there, they believed the haunted house was abandoned. "Fucking kids." Klaus growled. He climbed down the stairs and he got out wearing a white tank top and some back trousers. "Hey!" He shouted at them. The kids screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost, or a monster of the house. Klaus grabbed one of them, while the other one managed to escape. He pushed him against the wall of the porch, holding tightly the collar of his shirt. "You stupid brat. You better run and tell your friend to not show up again in my house. Otherwise, I'll lock you in the basement. Do you understand?" He growled. The kid nodded, keeping his eyes closed. Klaus let him go after awhile, staying still on his porch, looking at him while he ran away. He realized he had acted recklessly. He was so nervous, he didn't even care about the consequences of his actions anymore.  
He got back inside, then, while drinking coffee, he found Liz Forbes' new address. Apparently wi fi worked again, after the storm. Caroline's mother lived out of New Orleans. She was still a sheriff, in Winnfield. Klaus took the keys of his car and he started driving. Margot sat on the passenger's seat. After all the rain, the sun finally shined outside.  
Klaus had been driving for three hours, when he saw the Winnfield sign at the side of the road. He followed the GPS indications until he pulled over, stopping the car in front of a little house. The neighborhood looked quiet. The grass of the yards that surrounded the houses was green and just cut. He took a deep breath, then he looked at the USB drive he had kept in his pocket. He tried to think about the right words to say, but everything sounded pathetic. He knew how much Liz hated him. That woman had made it clear: she hadn't any intention to see his face again. But he was there for Caroline, and he was doing all for her salvation. Followed by Margot, he walked toward the porch, then he knocked at the door twice, and he waited. When Liz Forbes opened it, he saw the surprise in her look. She wasn't a rude woman, or at least she wasn't rude enough to slam the door in his face, but they both know she would have liked to do so.

"What do you want?" She strictly asked.

"I just want to talk." Klaus said back. The woman sighed. She didn't see nothing but an arrogant boy who like to play God.

"There is nothing we need to talk about." When she tried to shut the door, Klaus put his hand on it to stop her.

"It's about Caroline." He tried to say. Liz felt the wrath in her body.

"Don't pronounce that name!" She scolded him, shouting in a whisper. She looked around herself to make sure the neighbours weren't watching.

"There's something you don't know about your daughter's death. _Something_ she wants you to see." Klaus insisted. He wasn't going to give up. Liz couldn't bear his arrogance. He was so persistent, she would have gladly slapped him in the face.

"My daughter died three years ago. She killed herself. This is all I need to know." She didn't want to know anything else. She didn't want to remember the pain, and experience it again. She had been through a lot, and she was tired of feeling hurt. She believed Klaus knew nothing about how she felt. He was just trying so hard to remind her about her past.

"This is all _you want_ to know." He said back, leaving her speechless because of his arrogance. "If you don't want to talk to me, it's fine. Just take this, and see with your own eyes what you have been ignoring for all these years." He provoked her rage. Liz slapped him in the face. She couldn't believe she had just done it. Klaus turned his face, he struggled against the wildest part of himself to keep calm. The woman grabbed the drive he held in his hand.

"Show up at my door again, and I will arrest you." She threatened him, then she shut the door at his face. Klaus took a step back, staring at the door with a glacial look in his eyes. He believe that woman's fear didn't allow her to see the reality around her. She was so scared and hurt, she didn't let anyone in. Klaus told himself he had done what he had to do. He got back in his car, and he drove home. Caroline was waiting for him. She waited all the morning long, until he got back. She saw him entering and she stayed still, with a look full of hope in her eyes. Klaus looked back at her, he sighed. There was nothing he could tell her to guarantee her that her mother had learnt which secret her daughter had been hiding, but he hoped she did.

"It's all up to her, now." He said. Hearing his words, Caroline couldn't contain her joy. She walked fast, until she fell in Klaus' arms. She thanked him with a long, strong, and deep hug. She realized he was her salvation, and she felt a little more free, and a little less heavy. Klaus closed his eyes, and he comforted her in his strong arms.

"Thank you, Nik." She thanked him in a soft whisper. Her gratitude was his reward, and he couldn't ask for more. There was something that liked him to her, and she could feel their connection too. It was what kept her still in the house. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay with him, and protect him. No mattered how strong he thought he was, he still needed her protection.

"She will come back." He guaranteed her. He strongly believed Caroline's mother was going to visit the house, after all that had happened. Caroline wished he was right.

* * *

**I couldn't keep myself from updating fast! I hope you liked the chapter. As you can see, Caroline was hiding a terrible secret. Her journey in this story is almost over, soon it will be Klaus' turn. I have many, horrible things in store for him. I almost feel sorry for him! ;)  
In the next chapter Liz and Caroline will meet again, and you'll see Sarah again.**

**Bill Forbes - David Morrissey (TWD)**

**Remember to review! Xx**

**- Ilaria. **


	5. V chapter

**Oblivion** - _V chapter_

Liz Forbes had always loved her daughter. Even though she was a busy woman who focused more on her career as a police officer than on her family, her love for Caroline had always been pure. When her seventeen years old daughter had decided to put an end to her life, Liz's world had crumbled as a fragile wall after an earthquake. She had lost everything. All the rumors about Caroline's suicide and the journalists' indiscretion hadn't helped her to get over the loss. For months she had been accused of being the cause of her death. They said she was a horrible, absent mother who couldn't notice the symptoms of a strong depression in her own daughter. Liz didn't believe Caroline had been depressed. Every time she had looked at her, she had seen a beautiful, happy teenager. She had lived a perfect life. She had been surrounded by people who had loved her. When Klaus Mikaelson had showed up in Liz' life, she had felt like all the rumors she had been hearing for months had returned to torment her poor mind. That boy's arrogance had hurt her. She would have never believed he was speaking the truth, until she saw with her own eyes what she had been ignoring for years. She was sitting on the chair of the kitchen. A cup of coffee in her hands. Her eyes were lost, they were no longer crying. She was tired of crying. She had cried all her tears when she had lost her child. Now she was just blaming herself for all the things that had happened around her, things that she hadn't noticed. She had been so blind. She had watched some of the videos inside the USB drive that Klaus had given her, and now she knew all the truth. Her husband, Bill, had been raping Caroline for years, every time Liz left the house for work. She couldn't understand why her daughter hadn't told a word about it. Suicide was never a good option, but Liz had finally stopped blaming Caroline for what she had done. Many questions haunted her tired mind, but she wasn't strong enough to look for the answers. Or at least, not now. Now, her priority was to give Bill what he deserved.  
Bill Forbes had always looked like a normal man, a good father, and a good husband. He was into politics, everybody showed him respect. Nobody knew that behind his mask, he hid a sick personality, a monster. He had started abusing Caroline when she was sixteen, he had never showed interest toward her before. He knew he was responsible of her death, but he felt no guilt. When he came back home after work, around 7pm, he saw his wife waiting for him in the kitchen. The two of them didn't speak much. After Caroline's death, everything had changed.

"How was your day?" He asked, speaking for first, after he put his jacket on a chair. Liz kept her eyes on him, while he didn't even look at her. She had already thought about killing him. She owned a gun, and it was hidden in the clothes she was wearing. She was a police officer, after all. The idea of killing him was inviting, yet there was still a sparkle of sanity in her, and it was telling her to do the right thing, and send that monster straight behind the bars of a jail.

"You made her do it." Liz whispered. Bill frowned, the expression on his face told he didn't know what she was talking about.

"What?" He asked. His wife didn't seem angry, yet she was dying again, inside.

"You killed my daughter." She repeated. He looked surprised. Years after years, he had become a good actor.

"Alright. You don't know what you're talking about." He shook his head, and right before he could make a move, Liz stopped him.

"Don't you dare moving." She growled. When she turned the laptop screen toward him, to show him the image on the screen, Bill stopped. Liz pressed play, and he heard his voice talking to their daughter. He told himself it wasn't possible. He had deleted all the evidences right after Caroline's death. Those video were supposed to be gone, forever. Liz stood up, she was holding her gun. Bill took a step back.

"Liz, think about what you're doing. Please." He didn't try to defend himself. He was the guilty one, and those videos proved it. He was afraid his wife was about kill him. He had never seen that look in her eyes before. She was cold, and she was seeking for revenge.

"Shut up, you bastard." She said, while Bill's voice in the video kept whispering words to Caroline. The man tried to not look at the laptop's screen. He lifted his hands up, to tell his wife he had given up. When Liz saw him, she didn't see a sick man who needed help. She saw a pervert bastard who deserved nothing but misery. She pointed the gun at him. "Why?" She asked, and a tear streamed down her face. She stopped being emotionless, for a while. She had only one question. _Why_.

"You ask me why?" Bill laughed. "Because _you_ didn't satisfy me. Because you thought about your job, and not about your family. You failed as a wife and you failed as a mother. And Caroline… she was way better than you." He growled at her face. Liz pressed the trigger. The bullet hit Bill's shoulder, making him fall on the ground.

"You're under arrest." Liz said, and she bent to handcuff him. "I'll make sure you'll feel like living in hell for the rest of your miserable life." She growled again, close to his ear, while the man moaned in pain. She made him stand, and she dragged him out of her house, ready to lock him in a cage, right where he deserved to be. She would have never had her daughter back, yet Caroline's soul had finally found justice.

* * *

Klaus had just woken up. He was naked under the cold water of the shower when he realized he hadn't been thinking about real life problems since he had arrived in his father's house. He had to look for a good job. He had to go and buy food at the grocery store. He had to call someone who could fix the tubing, since the house was literally falling to pieces. Sometimes he envied his brother, Elijah. He was a brilliant lawyer, and he had the perfect family. After college he had married a stunning woman, Katherine, and a few years later they had been blessed with a baby daughter, Nadia. Even Rebekah, who was younger than him, had a solid life. Klaus had always been different. He was an artist, he loved painting, and finding the right woman seemed to be impossible to him. He couldn't deny he had many flaws. He easily got bored, that was why an ordinary life wasn't the right remedy to his dissatisfaction. When he got out of the shower, he put a white towel around his hips, and he looked around himself. Nobody seemed to be in the room with him, yet the silence of the house kept sounding creepy. While he was looking for something to wear, the doorbell rang. "Fuck." He murmured, and he quickly put on some pants, a pair of jeans and a white tank top. He wore shoes along the way, to be fast. The doorbell rang again, and when Klaus opened the door he was surprised to see Liz Forbes. His lips were parted, and for a few moments he lost the ability to speak. The last time they had met she had slapped him in the face.

"Is it a bad moment?" The woman asked, keeping her arms crossed against her chest because of the cold air. She didn't seem to be mad at him, not anymore. Klaus shook his head, and he took a step back to let her in.

"No. Please, come in." He said. Liz stepped in the house, and shivers ran across her spine. She hadn't seen that house since the night of Caroline's suicide. She looked around herself. She noticed that many things had changed, and somehow she was glad about it. Klaus closed the door behind him, and he observed the woman. "May I offer your something to drink? I was making coffee." He said, interrupting Liz' admiration. She turned to look at him, and she smiled softly.

"Coffee would be perfect." She said. He nodded, and he led her toward the kitchen, even though she knew exactly where it was. All that kindness between them started to be weird. Klaus extended his hand toward one of the chairs of the table, then he made coffee, and he waited for it to be ready. Liz sat, and she kept looking around herself. Everything was so unbelievable.

"To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Mrs Forbes?" He asked, while he poured her coffee in a cup. He left it on the table, and Liz took it.

"Thank you." She whispered. She still didn't like Klaus. She still glimpsed his arrogance in every word he pronounced. But he had helped her, and he had helped her daughter. She owed him her gratitude. "I'm here to apologize about what happened between us. I've been rude." She admitted, without caring about her pride. Klaus knew how hard it was for her to speak like that. He sat on a chair, and he looked her in the eyes.

"And I've been invasive, and reckless." He said back. "I guess we're both sorry, and I think we can pretend nothing has ever happened." He kept saying. Liz nodded. Klaus drank his coffee, and she did the same. They both knew it wasn't all. They still had things to say, she still had some question to make. Klaus decided to break the silence, again. "I believe you're not here just to apologize. You still want something, don't you?" He already knew the answer to that question. The woman was struggling against herself. A part of her believed Klaus was able to let her talk to her dead daughter, the other part commanded her to be smart, and leave that house.

"You said all your actions were driven by the wish to help my daughter." She said. Klaus nodded.

"I did." He admitted.

"So, you're telling me you talked to her." She presumed. Klaus nodded again.

"I did." He repeated. Liz was still skeptical, and Klaus saw her insecurity in the look in her eyes. Nobody was ever really ready to see that reality. Ghosts, spirits, entities. The society saw them like myths, just like werewolves and vampires.

"How can I believe you?" She asked. Even though she was trying so hard to believe, she still couldn't allow herself to do it. Or at least, not completely.

"You already do. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here." He said, and he kept rolling the warm cup of coffee in his hands.

"Would you help me speaking to her?" Those words hardly left Liz' mouth. She still had her doubts

"Of course." He said back.

"Is there anything… anything we need to do to call her?" She asked.

"It won't be necessary." Klaus' eyes stopped on the kitchen's door. "She's already here." He said. Caroline was there, in the room. She was standing behind her mother, close to the door. It was like she was afraid to see her face, to take some steps ahead. Liz' heart skipped a beat. Even though a part of her was still skeptical, she wanted to believe Caroline was really with her in that moment. She had many things to tell her. She needed to know her daughter had forgiven her. Caroline took all her courage, and she slowly stepped closer.

"Mom?" She called for her. Liz couldn't hear her, but Klaus could.

"She's calling for you." Klaus informed Liz.

"Where is she, exactly?" She asked.

"She's by your side." He said, while his eyes were still stuck on Liz' left side. He was looking at Caroline, and Liz tried to do the same. She saw nothing, and it hurt. Caroline couldn't hold the tears anymore. She cried silently, a cry of joy. She was finally able to see her mother, after a long time.

"I'm sorry, mom. I didn't want to make you suffer." She cried.

"She says she's sorry, she didn't want to make you suffer." Klaus repeated Caroline's words. A tear streamed down Liz's face, while she tried her best to see her daughter among the emptiness of the kitchen.

"I don't want you to feel sorry about me, honey. I was so blind. I didn't notice that something was wrong, and I let him hurt you." Caroline took a breath of relief, as soon as she realized her mother knew all the truth about her father. She felt a little ashamed, because even after all those years it wasn't easy to talk about her rapes. She was tired of seeing her mother being so sad. She had lost everything she once had, but she still had the chance to start over.

"Tell her I want her to move on. She deserves some happiness in her life. Tell her I will always be with her." Caroline said to Klaus.

"She wants you to move on, and be happy. She says she will always be with you." Klaus repeated.

"And when she'll feel alone, she can still look at all the photos we took in Paris, before I died." She smiled and she passed her hand on her cheek, to take away the tears.

"And when you'll feel alone, you can look at the photos you took in Paris, before she died." Liz's eyes stopped on Klaus. He couldn't know about their journey to Paris. Her lips slightly parted. All her doubts vanished, it was clear Caroline was really in that room, with her. She couldn't guarantee her she would have find happiness again, but she could try to move on. She had no other choice. The only choice was to be strong.

"Tell her to go away, and never come back in this house." Caroline kept crying. It was the right decision to take. Klaus waited before to speak. He looked at Caroline, to see if she was really sure about her own words.

"She wants you to go away, and don't come back here." He said. Liz's sadness showed through her face. She knew her daughter was doing it to not let her live in the memory of a past that was long gone. She nodded. She just wanted Caroline's soul to be free, and safe. Caroline stopped talking. Klaus' eyes returned on Liz. "She's doing it for you, Liz." He said. The woman nodded again, and a weak smile appeared on her sad face.

"Thank you." She said. Klaus wasn't expecting to be thanked. He just smiled, pressing his lips and glancing down. "It's time for me to go." Hearing her words, he stood up to lead her toward the door. Caroline followed them, she wanted to see her mother for the very last time. Right before she could go, Klaus stopped her.

"Liz." He called her name. "What about you husband?" He asked.

"He's in jail. He will stay there for a long time." She pressed her lips in a soft smile. After a last glance to Klaus, she turned her back at him to get in her car again. Caroline stopped by Klaus' side. They both looked at Liz, until her car disappeared, and the remained alone again. Caroline took a deep breath. Klaus put his eyes on her, then he pulled her closer to him, and he surrounded her waist with his arm.

"It's cold here. Let's get back inside." He said. Caroline nodded, and he let him lead her in the living room. It was over. Everything had ended, and she couldn't believe she was finally free. Something kept her in that house. The place she had been seeing as a cage for all those years, was now her home. She would have stayed, until Klaus would have stayed. Now, he was the one who needed her help.  
He saw how sad she looked, so he smiled. "Why that sad face, love?" He asked, getting closer to the stereo he had brought in the new house from the apartment he had shared with Marcel. Caroline sighed, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"I don't know. I just feel… empty." She revealed. Suddenly, she heard a song she had never heard before. It had to be a new one. She hadn't been hearing music since the night she had died, which was pretty sad, since she loved music. Klaus extended his hand toward her, to invite he to dance. Caroline laughed. "Seriously?" She asked. Klaus took her hand, and he pulled her closer to him. The slow rhythm of the song allowed them to dance slowly. After he made her spin, Klaus put his arms around her waist. Caroline felt his warmth. Having him so close was idyllic. For a moment, she thought her soul was finally free, and it had just found the way to heaven. She surrounded his neck with her arms, and she looked him in the eyes.

"I see you stole my sweatshirt, love." Klaus joked, seeing she still wore it. It looked good on her, he wasn't trying to get it back. Caroline blushed. She couldn't believe she had forgotten to put it back in his wardrobe.

"Well, you said I could keep it." She said, raising her chin up, and looking proud. Klaus gave her a challenging glance.

"Mhh, did I?" He asked.

"Yes! You said it looked better on me." She kept saying, trying to keep herself from laughing. Klaus didn't, he laughed freely.

"I was right, then." He said, and he made her blush again. Caroline didn't glance down. Her blue eyes remained on him, lost in admiration. Klaus watched her pale lips. Her diaphanous skin looked like porcelain. Caroline didn't resist to the temptation to taste him. She kissed him. A innocent, but intense kiss. His lips were so soft and warm, just like she had imagined. Her cold hand caressed his cheek. Her fingers touched his beard. Klaus felt how cold she was. When their skin had touched, he had immediately closed his eyes, and for a moment he had been unable to make any move. As he realized what was going on, he pressed his hands against her hips, and he opened his lips, moving them softly on hers. If only Caroline had a heartbeat, he heart would have skipped thousands of beats. When she slightly opened her mouth, Klaus pushed his tongue inside of it, to touch hers. For a moment, e freed his mind from any thought. It didn't matter how wrong it was. Caroline was no longer the suicidal girl who desperately needed his help. She was just a girl, who was kissing the man she liked under the notes of a beautiful song. Everything he was feeling was real. Her lips, pressing gently against his, were real. And her body, trapped in his arms, was real too. He couldn't regret something that felt so good. He was the first man who was giving Caroline a storm of beautiful emotions, and everything seemed perfect to her until a shade of rationality left in her mind reminded her she was dead. She told herself she couldn't do it. She couldn't drag a young, handsome, and living man into the oblivion with her. She pressed her hands against his chest. She pushed him away. As Klaus stopped himself, he gave her a confused look.

"What?" He asked, and his hands remained on her waist. He tried to kiss her again, but Caroline turned her face. She kept feeling the man's lips on her neck, and on her cheek.

"This is so wrong." She whispered. Klaus smiled, he didn't care about how wrong it was. He looked for her lips again, and as soon as he touched them gently, to start a new kiss, she turned her back at him. "I can't!" she started walking fast toward the stairs. Klaus stayed still, seeing her running away from him.

"Caroline!" He called for her, but it was a vain attempt.

"Leave me alone!" She shouted. He asked himself if he had done something wrong, and he didn't find the answer to his question. He liked her, he really did, and as soon as he realized it, he understood he had put himself in trouble. Never before he had taken care of a girl, as he had done with Caroline. She seemed to be different from any other woman he had met before. Her purity and her sweetness were the virtues he liked the most about her. He remained utterly alone in the living room of the house, and he passed a hand among his hair, staring at the stairs that Caroline had climbed. Klaus thought about their kiss all day long.

* * *

Caroline found some peace in the attic, right where she had died. She stayed alone, and she listened to the silence that surrounded her. She smelled Klaus' perfume on his sweatshirt, and she stayed seated on the floor, her knees bent, close to her chest. She had a crush on the wrong guy, a guy whose biggest flaw was to be still alive. It wasn't his fault, it wasn't no one's fault. If only she had met him before she killed herself, then perhaps things could have worked between the two of them. She spent hours, thinking about what could have happened. She stopped only when she realized overthinking was totally useless.

"You poor thing." A feminine voice came from the dark corner of the attic. Caroline jumped, and she immediately stood on her feet. Genevieve was in the room with her, and obviously she had seen what had happened between Caroline and the new _house mate_. The red haired woman slowly stepped closer, just like a wolf that walked around his prey. A terrifying smirk was stuck on her lips. She was creepy, as much as she was beautiful. Her skin was pale, and her blue eyes hid a cunning look. Her long, red hair was a little waved. She wore old fashioned clothes. She had died in the 20's.  
"It must be hard for you." Genevieve kept saying. Caroline gave her a strict look.

"Go away." She said, even though she perfectly knew it would have worked. In fact, the woman didn't mind to her harsh words.

"I can't blame you, he's pretty handsome." She smirked again, while she slowly walked around the attic, close to Caroline. "But he's alive, and you, darling, are dead." She made her notice. Caroline tried hard to not let any emotion show through her gelid face.

"This is none of your business." She growled.

"Don't let him manipulate you. He's a man, and men are all the same." Genevieve took some steps ahead, until she stopped close to Caroline's face. "He's gonna hurt you, just like your father used to. He helped you, just to see you spreading your pretty legs for him. You'll fall in love with him, and he will leave you alone as soon as he will realize that he's not dead. He has a long life to live. He will find a beautiful woman to marry, and she'll be _alive_." Her smirk had faded. She spoke like someone who had been hurt. Her rage toward Klaus had some reasons, hidden in Genevieve's past. She had been killed by her own husband in the 20's. Caroline didn't want to believe to her words. She kept shaking her head.

"He's not like any other man. You don't know anything about him." She said. Klaus was different from her father, and even from Tyler, who in many years had never shown the interest that Klaus had shown for her in a few days. Genevieve sighed.

"I know he's a man, and It's enough." She said back.

"Just because your stupid husband killed you, it doesn't mean they all like him!" Caroline shouted. Genevieve took a step back, as Caroline moved ahead to face her enemy. The red haired woman looked deeply hurt by the truth. Seeing the look in her eyes, Caroline understood she had done something terrible.

"You're gonna pay for this. You, and your friend, will pay." Genevieve growled, while her wrath showed through her pale face.

"Don't you dare touching Nik." Caroline didn't give up, she fought for herself and for Klaus. It seemed like she was no longer scared of Genevieve's old, and dangerous soul. The woman laughed. An evil, terrifying laugh that made shivers run across Caroline's spine.

"I'll make sure he will never leave this house. Just like us." Genevieve's threat meant nothing but death. Caroline kept shaking her head, her lips pressed and her eyes full of anger. Genevieve walked away, and Caroline followed her for a while.

"Stay away from him!" She shouted again, but the woman disappeared behind the corner of the attic's door. Caroline looked around herself. It was like she had been shouting to the empty air. When she heard the noise of a car, she got the window to see what was going on. She saw Klaus' car moving toward the open gate. He was leaving, and his absence would have made of him a safe man, at least until he would have returned.

* * *

Klaus came back home when the sun faded. In the evening he had applied for some jobs. He was a painter, but he didn't earn enough money by selling his works online. He had bought food for the next few weeks, since the grocery store was far from his new home. As he left the car in the yard, Margot followed him toward the porch. Suddenly, he heard a noise coming from the trees. He turned, and he looked around. Slowly, he left the bags on the porch's wooden floor, and he saw Margot staring and barking toward an imprecise, and dark point of the garden. The dog stepped back, with her tail between her legs. She was scared, and she started to whine.

"Hush now." Klaus whispered. He couldn't get in among the trees to check if something was wrong. He wasn't carrying his gun with him, and somehow he was safer inside the house. Or so he thought. He opened the door, and Margot ran inside. He grabbed the bags again, and then he locked himself in. He turned the light on, and he walked toward the kitchen to put the food in the fridge. Suddenly, he felt a bad smell in the air. It was gas. He looked at the oven, and he realized the noise of gas emission came from it. "Shit!" He immediately turned the gas off. He opened the windows of the kitchen, and he waited for the smell to fade. He was sure he hadn't forgotten to turn it off before to leave home. Somebody in the house wanted him dead. He passed a hand among his golden hair. He was on the edge of an hysterical attack. He grabbed a glass, and he threw it against the opposite wall. When he realized he was doing exactly what the entities wanted him to do, he tried to calm down. He couldn't lose his mind. His own sanity had never been more important. He closed the windows again, and while he was shutting the last one, he saw a woman hiding among the trees. She was staring at him. He was sure he had seen her face before. She was Genevieve. She had the same smirk he had seen on her lips the first time. He stared back at her. She wanted him to leave the house, and chase her. Klaus was not going to play her game. He ignored her, and he tried to look calm and fearless. Truth to be told, he was afraid. There was nothing he could do against dead people. He couldn't hurt them, and bullets wouldn't have worked. His breath was fast, and white smoke left his mouth every time he took another breath. The air was cold, gelid. He had to keep doing his stuff, without giving too much importance to what happened around him. He climbed the stairs, Margot followed him toward his bedroom. When he passed across the guest's bedroom, he heard a little voice coming from there. He got closer to the door, and he gave it a little push to check who was hiding inside. He saw, through the darkness, the little Katelyn. She was playing on the floor, and she stopped as she saw him. She looked small, as much as his little niece, Sarah.

"Have you seen my mommy and daddy, Sir?" She asked. Her soul was stuck in the house, because after her death she had kept waiting for her parents. They had never come back home. Klaus shook his head, and Katelyn looked sad. He walked in the room, and he turned on the light. The little girl was pale, and the black circles around her eyes told she had been sick during the last moments of her life.

"Hey, I haven't seen them, but I'll let you know if I will." He said. Katelyn stopped playing with her dolls to give him a smile, then she started singing softly an old lullaby her mother used to sing her before bed time. Klaus took some steps back, he turned off the light and he closed the door again, to leave her alone. He got in his bedroom, and he locked the door. He took off his shirt, and he wore a pair of old gym trousers he used to sleep. He washed his face in the little bathroom of the room. He saw his reflection in the mirror. His face had never looked more tired. After he finished using the bathroom, he got under the sheets of his bed. He fell asleep soon.  
He felt Caroline's lips on his naked body. The girl was nude, on the top of him, and her skin was cold as he remembered. Klaus could see her breast wiggling every time she moved her pelvis, allowing him to get deeper inside of her. She raised up her chin, with her eyes closed, and her hands on his chest. She moaned in pleasure, while Klaus touched her waist, and his hands fell slowly to her ass. His eyes were open, and they admired the girl's beauty from his position. When their eyes met, Caroline bent to leave a passionate kiss on his soft, warm lips. Their tongue played one against the other, until the woman returned to her natural position, revealing him her true identity. Genevieve was fucking him, and her rhythm was fast and incessant. She laughed, seeing the confusion in Klaus' eyes. He grabbed her by her throat, and he fought against her to put himself on the top. Genevieve was strong, her soul was so old, that she was stronger than any other human being. She scratched Klaus' face, again and again, laughing when his blood got stuck under her long, and sharpen nails. Klaus kept his eyes closed, he tried to hide his face by covering it behind his arms.

"Nik! Wake up! Wake up!" Caroline's voice brought him back. It made him wake up from his nightmare. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the blood on his hands, and the scratches on his arms. Caroline was knelt on the empty side of the bed, and she was trying to keep his wrists blocked.

"Genevieve." He weakly whispered. Caroline let his wrists go, as she realized he was conscious again. She was sorry, because all of it was her fault. She shook her head, and she leaned closer to him, to took his face in her hands.

"You had a nightmare, Nik. She got inside your head, and she made you do it to yourself." She said, looking at his deep, and grey eyes. He looked shocked, and somehow Caroline realized he was the one who needed her help, now. She caressed his face, seeing the three scratches on his right cheek. The wounds were new and fresh.  
"It's all over. You're with me, now." She whispered. Klaus looked at her face, while his breath was still fast. He thought about the images he had seen in his nightmare. He remembered about her naked body. He reminded himself he had to go slow with her, since all the things that had happened in her past. He found his shelter in her slim arms. Caroline kept him safe, and they lay down together. Klaus put his head against her soft chest, and her fingers gently touched his golden curls. She kept him close to her breast, and she waited for him to fall asleep again, safe in her arms.  
"I won't let anything happen to you." She murmured in the silence of the darkness. Klaus found comfort and relief in her words.

* * *

**Finally, Caroline is the one who has to take care of him. I hope you liked the chapter! I told you would have seen Sarah again, but I realized it's pretty soon for that. What do you think about Liz' reaction, and the Klaroline kiss?  
The next chapter will be full of Klaus and Caroline's moments, they will be very intimate. **

**Review, please! Xx**

**- Ilaria.**


	6. VI chapter

**Oblivion** - _VI_

For the first time, Klaus didn't wake up alone. That morning, after many lonely mornings, someone was lying on the other side of his bed. It was Caroline, who had taken care of him through the night. She was always there when he needed her. Even though she wasn't as strong as Genevieve, she would have never left Klaus alone. She would have tried to protect him. He felt the pain, as he moved in the bed. The scratches on his arms were real, and the wounded flesh caused him suffering. He stayed still, and he looked at Caroline. She was sleeping, and while her blue eyes were closed she looked more innocent than ever. Lying on his left side, Klaus touched her soft cheek. He thought again about what had happened between them. Their kiss had felt so right, yet it had been so wrong. He had never loved a woman, and it was because no one of them could deeply understand him. Caroline knew the hidden part of himself. She knew his secret, and she didn't think he was insane. She understood him. Falling in love with a ghost wasn't right, but Klaus couldn't see her as a dead girl.  
She muttered a bit, and she tried to hide her face. Her fingers touched Klaus' hand, they grabbed it gently, and a little smile made her lips curve. He smiled back, while her eyes were still closed. He had interrupted her sleep. He leaned closer to her face, and when Caroline opened her eyes she laughed.

"Good morning, sweetheart." His hoarse and deep voice said. That sound made her shiver. She didn't say anything back, but her smile faded as soon as she saw the scratches on his arms.

"I'm sorry for what happened last night." She whispered, looking at him, and his blue eyes.

"I'm fine." He said back. She didn't have to worry about him, or at least it was what he thought.

"She got inside your mind, and she attacked you. Next time, it could be worse." She said. Klaus didn't want to talk about it. He knew Caroline's intentions. She wanted him to leave the house, as he had promised. He would have never let Genevieve win. And he couldn't leave Caroline alone. He rolled his eyes, and he pushed himself on the top of her.

"I liked you better when you were sleeping." He admitted, with a cunning smile on his beautiful lips. They were so full and kissable, that Caroline had to keep herself from kissing them again. She smiled, and she tried hard not to laugh. It was a serious matter, and he had to listen to her words. She didn't want to let him think she was just joking.

"You made me a promise, Nik. You said you would have left this place, as long as I let you help me. I did let you. Now, you must go away. Sell the house and leave." She kept saying. He didn't listen to her, he just kept staring at her pale lips, and he dreamed of kissing her.

"I won't. I easily break my promises, love. I would never leave you alone here." After his confession, Caroline's lips were slightly parted. She couldn't believe he had fooled her. Her hands were on his large, and strong shoulders. She pushed him away, in order to complain, but the weight of his body didn't allow her to get rid of him. Perhaps, she didn't want to.

"You have no idea how dangerous it is…" She tried to say, but he was tired of her words. He kissed her, and he interrupted her speech. His tongue played with hers, inside her cold mouth, and his hands blocker her wrists against the bed. Caroline enjoyed every moment, and she realized she wanted him so bad. It was different from any other time. She really wanted him, and she finally had the chance to choose if she was going to give herself to him, or not. Klaus let her wrists go, just to put his right hand under her sweatshirt, and shirt. Her gelid, soft skin was like porcelain. Not even for a moment he stopped their kiss. Caroline touched his golden curls. Her breath was fast, and the soft moans she whispered to Klaus' ear made him lose his mind. Her legs were spread, and they touched his hips. He stopped kissing her, just to glance down and unbutton her jeans. A part of her pink panties was uncovered. Caroline mind got invaded by dreadful memories. For a moment, she felt unable to move. While Klaus pulled down his trousers, her body began to shake. She felt the horrendous need to puke, and that sensation reminded her about the fear she had felt when her father raped her. "No. Stop!" She shouted, using all her strength to push Klaus away. She started crying, desperately. She wanted him to stop, and when she asked him to do so, he did. He stopped. Her father never stopped, not even when she cried.

"Caroline, it's me. It's ok." He knelt on the bed, and she raised her chest to breathe. Klaus kept his hands on her shoulders, to stay close to her and remind her he was going to hurt her. She shook her head. She had lost control, and she was panicking. No mattered how many times Klaus called her name. The memory of her father was stuck in her head, and it didn't let her go. She started coughing, and she went on the edge of the bed to throw up. She couldn't, because there was nothing to expel in her dead body. Klaus kept her hair, in order to not let them invade her face.  
"Look at me, love." He said after a while, taking her hands. "Take deep breath. It's everything fine. I won't hurt you." He whispered, and he took her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. Caroline did as his voice commanded her. She breathed slowly, and deeply, feeling his hands caressing her gently. Her crying had stopped. The fear faded, to leave its place to a terrible awareness. She had ruined everything, and she was terribly angry with herself. She stood up, and she passed her hands through her blonde hair.

"I'm sorry." She said. "It's terribly wrong. We... It won't ever happen again." She spoke fast. Klaus glanced down, while he sat on the edge of the bed.

"You're traumatized." He said. Caroline knew he was right.

"Listen, it's not your business." She tried to push him away. She didn't want to, but she had to. He couldn't keep thinking about her health, without thinking about his own one. Klaus gave her a strict glare.

"Is it not? Because I remember it was my business when I did everything you asked for." He reminded her. He wasn't trying to be evil, he was just being Klaus.

"Why can't you understand I'm dead?" She shouted. "I'm dead, Nik!" She repeated. "You can't waste your time with me. I stopped living three years ago, while you're still alive, and there's a beautiful, whole life waiting for you out there. Stop thinking about me! Go away before it's too late!" She remembered Genevieve's words. That woman was cruel and mad, but maybe she was right. Maybe, she had to let Klaus go. She couldn't dream about spending a lifetime with him. He had to start living, he had to meet a beautiful woman to marry. As much as she would have loved to be that woman, she couldn't. Klaus felt the anger in his body, and he stood on his feet to walk closer to Caroline.

"Perhaps I'm not the one who has to leave. You found justice, didn't you? Your soul is finally free. Why are you still stuck here?" He asked, speaking close to her face. Caroline felt wounded. She glanced down, and she took her time before giving him the answer he was waiting for.

"Because… I can't leave you alone in this house." She admitted in a weak whisper. He proudly raised his head.

"Right. And you expect me to do it. To leave you." He said. She felt terribly guilty. "Well, I won't." He proclaimed his decision, getting closer to her face. Caroline looked him in the eyes, and she slowly shook her head.

"You will regret your decision." She warned him, right before to walk away. Klaus kept staring at the wall in front of him. His pride didn't let him follow her, and try to chase her. He was alone with his thoughts, and he sighed, hearing the silence around him. It seemed like Caroline wasn't the only one stuck in the house.

* * *

It was clear she kept rejecting him because she thought she wasn't enough for him.  
There was no chance he was going to give up on them. Klaus was stubborn, and he never cared about the risks. He wanted her. He wanted to make her understand that she deserved happiness. Life had been cruel to her, he knew that, but he wouldn't have let her run away from love.  
He left the house in the morning, to stay alone for a while, and think. He got inside his car, and Margot followed him. He drove through the empty roads that led to the city, and he arrived to New Orleans before lunch. Someone was waiting for him, it was Marcel. They were close friends, Klaus and Marcel. He lived in the old apartment they used to share before Klaus' real father died. It was in the French Quarter, not so far from Bourbon Street.

"Look who came back home!" The guy said, as he opened the door. He was a black man, handsome, tall. He had been a basket player through his whole adolescence. Klaus smiled, and they shared a friendly hug. Marcel invited him in. The apartment was a mess, just like when Klaus lived there.

"I see you didn't change anything." He noticed. He missed that place.

"Actually, something changed. Your old room is now mine. I've always liked it." Marcel said back, and he went into the kitchen to grab some beers. Klaus looked around himself. Suddenly some noises coming from his old bedroom drew his attention. He stayed still, and he stared at the closed door. When someone turned the doorknob from the inside, Klaus thought about his haunted house again. The door got opened, and a girl showed up in the living room. She appeared surprised to see him. Klaus knew her. Her name was Sophie.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked. Her dark hair was wet, and she was wearing nothing but a pair of black panties and a bra.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" She asked back. "Marcel told me you moved." Sophie pretty much hated Klaus. It wasn't so hard to do it. Klaus wasn't a people person, and sometimes people misunderstood his sense of humor.

"Indeed." He confirmed. Marcel lent them their beer. It was the only way to keep them from fighting like dogs.

"You didn't tell me you replaced me with the Asian girl." Klaus joked, before drinking his beer, and pointing the bottle at Sophie. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not Asian. I'm Mexican." She corrected him. Marcel smiled, and he put his arm around his girlfriend.

"Sophie and I are trying to make things work." He informed Klaus, who tried hard to smile.

"Good luck with that." He showed his sarcasm, before drinking again. Sophie sighed, seeing that annoying smirk on his lips.

"Why don't you make us toasts, honey?" Marcel asked her, in order to stay alone with Klaus. He was sure his friend had something to tell him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have visited him. Sophie smiled to his boyfriend.

"I can still see your hands. Which means you can still use them." The girl said back, making Klaus laugh. Marcel's smile faded. Sophie walked away, and she sat on the living room's couch, crossing her naked legs, and grabbing her lighter to start smoking. Klaus stared at her ass while she walked, and Marcel did the same.

"Don't say anything." The guy said, as soon as Klaus put his eyes on him again.

"My mouth is shut." Klaus guaranteed him. Marcel sat by his girlfriend's side, and Klaus sat on the armchair in front of them. Sophie kept smoking, giving challenging glares at Klaus, who, on the other hand, ignored her. He kept drinking his beer. Margot was lying on the floor, and she looked quiet.

"So, how are you doing in the new house?" Marcel asked. Klaus looked at Sophie. He couldn't speak freely, if she stayed in the room with them. He remembered how much she hated him, and his ghosts' stories. Last time they had taken part to a session together, things had gone pretty wrong. Sophie wasn't an ordinary girl. She was a witch. Her family had a voodoo store in the French Quarter. Many people didn't believe her, yet Klaus knew she wasn't a cheater. She could read tarot cards, and she was aware of the existence of the afterworld.

"New house has some sort of problems." Klaus admitted. Marcel frowned.

"What kind of problems? You need help with the makeover?" He asked. Klaus laughed, and he shook his head.

"Not that kind of problems." He said, and he put his eyes on Marcel, and his new girlfriend. Somehow, they understood. Marcel sighed, and he let the beer on the little table by the couch.

"Don't, Klaus." He pointed his finger against him. "You had promised you were done with that shit." He reminded him. Marcel had never allowed Klaus to use Ouija boards in their apartment. He was terribly afraid of that kind of things. Sophie, on the other hand, had always shown interest, until their last session.

"I didn't do anything, Marcel. I didn't look for them. They came to me." Klaus tried to say. Marcel didn't want to ear another single word about the matter. He kept shaking his head.

"I don't give a fuck about it. You remember what happened last time I let you drag me in your shit." He stood up, and he pointed his finger at him, again. "You had sworn you wouldn't have talked about these bullshits again." His tone was strict. He took his beer, and he walked on the balcony to stay alone. Klaus glanced down, and he massaged his head.

"He's right, Klaus. We all have been through hell, last time. It lasted for months." Sophie reminded him, after a few moments of silence. Klaus nodded, he remembered everything. He drank his beer, while Sophie struggled against the most curious and reckless part of herself, in order to keep herself from making questions. She failed. "How many?" She asked.

"Three. I counted just three of them." He said back. Genevieve, Katelyn, and Caroline. Just three.

"If you want my advice, find someone who's willing to make an exorcism to the house. I can help you finding the right person. My sister knows a woman, she's a witch. Her name is Celeste. She knows how these things work." Klaus kept his eyes on the floor. He wasn't looking for a witch who could make an exorcism. He didn't want to send _all_ the entities away. He couldn't let anyone hurt Caroline.

"I can't do this." He said. Sophie frowned.

"Why?" She asked. Klaus couldn't say anything else. He had already spoken too much, and it was pretty clear that Marcel wasn't willing to hear anything about the matter. He gave a quick glance to the balcony's door, then he stood up and he left his beer on the little table.

"I got to go." He didn't say bye. Sophie kept smoking her cigarette on the couch, while Klaus walked toward the door, followed by Margot. Marcel got back in the living room, as he heard the door getting shut. He and Sophie shared a patient glance. There was nothing they could to help their friend, without getting in trouble.

* * *

Caroline stayed in the attic, looking through the window that faced on the yard. She waited for Klaus to come back, because when he wasn't home, the house was terribly silent, and silence made her feel alone again. When she saw his car passing the black gate, she took a breath of relief. She had been rude to him, and she couldn't stay mad at him for so long. She wanted to say sorry. Maybe she was too selfish to let him go. Truth to be told, she was just afraid to remain alone. He was her only friend, and if she pushed him away, she would have lost him. She would have liked to stay with him, in the house, still Genevieve was too dangerous to him, and there was no way to get rid of her.  
Caroline watched Klaus getting out of his car, then she heard his steps at the first floor.

Klaus put his phone and the keys on the couch. He was tired, and he knew he had no one. His friends had turned their back at him. His family would have never understood. They would have insisted, in order to make him take his pills. And they would have sent him to a good psychiatrist. He was alone in that story. While those dark thoughts crossed his mind, he felt like somebody was watching him. As he turned, he saw Caroline behind him. Their eyes met, and for a while they both reminded silent.

"Where have you been?" She asked in a whisper, while her arms were crossed, close to her chest. Klaus still looked proud and hurt.

"I've been in town." He said back, showing his coldness through his tone. Caroline glanced down.

"I'm sorry. For today." She murmured, and Klaus walked toward the kitchen to grab a cold beer from the fridge. He started drinking, and he smiled, hearing her words. Caroline knew it was just a skeptical smile.

"I'm not expecting you to apologize, love. You were right. You are dead, I'm alive. I shouldn't play with fire. I should leave this fucking place. Problem is, I have nowhere to go. I'm alone, as much as you." He smiled again, pointing his beer at her. He was hiding anger and sadness beneath a fake smile, and Caroline was sorry to see him like that. She walked closer, and she sat by his side, on the couch.

"You have your family." She reminded him.

"They think I'm crazy. They always did." He admitted. "I bet they don't even see me as a brother. I'm their mother's bastard." Caroline frowned, and she put her hand on his one.

"Don't say these things. I'm sure they love you. You're so… easy to love." A sweet smile appeared on her lips. Klaus put his eyes on her. He couldn't believe she actually believed in her own words.

"It's clear you don't know me at all, sweetheart." He said, and he drank his beer. It was the second one in a few hours. Caroline grabbed his wrist, and she forced him to put the bottle down. She drew his attention, and their eyes met again.

"You've been so kind to me, from the very first moment. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Nobody had ever taught him to love himself. His parents had always thought that there was something wrong with him. His siblings thought he was weird, and perhaps they were right. He had never been an ordinary kid. His eyes kept staring at her. Her beautiful features made him want to kiss her so hard.

"Why does it have to be so difficult?" He asked her. Caroline frowned again, while her beautiful smile was stuck on her face.

"What?" She asked back.

"Trying to not feel." He murmured. Caroline felt like she was blushing, even though her skin remained pale. She wondered why. Why her? He was handsome, and smart. She was just a dead, suicide teenager. Tyler, her ex, had never made her feel special as Klaus was doing. As the time passed, she had started believing she wasn't that interesting. Klaus was falling in love with her, and she would have liked to know a way to stop him. Seeing how difficult it was to her to find an answer, Klaus glanced down, and he slowly nodded. He stood up, and before he could make more steps to go away, Caroline grabbed his hand, and she pulled him against her body as she stood on her feet. Their lips touched in a long, passionate kiss. She told herself she had to stop worrying, even though it was wrong and reckless. She had to care about her own happiness, and she would have found it in Klaus. The man closed his eyes, as her felt her cold skin touching him. He didn't forbid himself the pleasure of touching her slim body. He freed his mind from all the thoughts, and he started leading her toward his bedroom.

* * *

**Smut is coming in the next chapter, along with Sarah's appearance and some other frightening events! Review. Xx**

**- Ilaria.**


	7. VII chapter

**Oblivion** - _VII_

If only she would have had a heartbeat, it would have been fast. And her heart would have hit her chest so hard until it hurt.  
Caroline kept her eyes open, every time Klaus stopped pressing his soft lips against hers, even for a brief moment. She had to remember herself he wasn't her father. She had to realize she wasn't living the same hell she had been living for years, before her suicide. Looking at his handsome face, and admiring his features helped her to not let all the memories invade her mind.  
Klaus led her to his bedroom, the same bedroom in which Caroline's father had raped her so many times, that she had lost the count. Things had changed, of course, but she could still glimpse some similarities. She forced herself to not look around, and to keep her eyes on Klaus, only on him.  
He was trying to act slowly, and every single kiss he left on her lips, reminded her he was different.  
His hands on her body were never invasive, his touch was soft, and his fingers never moved below her hips. He had never showed so much gentleness toward a woman, during intimacy. He had never respected a woman's body that way.  
Caroline's hands were tightly grabbing Klaus' shirt, and sometimes her mind told her to push him away. She struggled against her fear, and she let him kiss her again, and again.  
When his hands unzipped the large sweater she was still wearing, the one he had given her, he felt her pressing her fingers against his chest, almost to make him stop. She sighed, and her body got rigid as stone. So, he just stopped. His hands still on the zip.

"What?" He asked in a soft whisper. Caroline felt her cheeks burn for a while. She couldn't blush, since she was dead, and her body was gelid. Yet, Klaus loved her the way she was. He loved her pale skin, and he loved the dark circles around her eyes. She breathed slowly, and she realized she didn't want to stop. Even though she was terribly afraid, she wanted to go on. Her father couldn't win. He had destroyed her life, and she would have never let him destroy her nonlife.

"N… Nothing." She murmured, and she gave him a sweet smile, to convince him she was telling the truth. Klaus patiently smiled back, and he kissed her gelid cheek. His lips stayed pressed against her skin, and she enjoyed to feel his warm breath on her. He was so… alive. Her hands touch his, and she helped him unzipping the sweater, and it fell against the floor. They took a break, and Caroline used those silent moments to admire every detail of his face. She gently touched it, and Klaus let her do whatever she needed to do, in order to get her own self confidence.  
"You are so… warm." She noticed. Klaus took it as compliment, and he kept staring at her beautiful, dry lips.

"And you are cold." He said back. She glanced down. She wished she wasn't cold ad ice. He took her face, and he forced her to look at his blue eyes.  
"I love it." He admitted, making a smile appear on her, again. A smile that gave light to her face. He caressed her hips, and he took some steps ahead, forcing her to take some steps back, until her legs touched the bed. Then, she sat on it, and Klaus followed her, placing one knee between her slightly spread legs. When his hands unzipped her jeans, she let him do it. Her eyes remained on him, she couldn't miss any of his movements. Klaus pulled her jeans down, making them move smoothly along her legs. She felt naked, and vulnerable. She followed her instinct, and she closed her bare thighs. She was so embarrassed. Patiently, he caressed her skin. He did it slowly, in order to relax every muscle of her body. When his full lips kissed her knee, moving then forward, toward her thighs, she slightly opened her mouth, and with it she also opened her legs for him. She didn't spread them, because it would have required her too much confidence, but she started to cooperate.  
He lay down, on the top of her, and he kissed her whole body with care. He drew a line with his lips, starting from her belly, until he reached her covered breast. In the meantime, he took off her shirt. Caroline couldn't hide her pleasure. He looked so confident, and she trusted him in every way. Even now that she was revealing him her almost utterly unveiled body.  
Klaus' eyes stopped on the bruises around her neck. He touched them gently, and he admired them. Caroline felt so embarrassed, that she would have liked to hid herself under the sheets of the bed.

"Don't look at them. Please." She said in a whisper. Klaus, however, kissed the signs of her dead.

"Don't feel ashamed." He murmured, with his lips pressed against her neck. Caroline almost cried, knowing that she was so exposed to him. She was afraid. She was afraid he could think she was horrible. Her fingers touched her visible, big bruises, and they forced Klaus to stop. When he glanced up at her, he saw the wetness of her eyes. He immediately felt guilty, and he put his thumb on her cheek, to caress her.  
"Hey… Hey, it's ok." He whispered. She shook her head.

"No. How can you not see it?" She asked.

"See what?" He was confused.

"They're ugly." She complained. He smiled softly, and he shook his head.

"No. They're not." He said.

"Don't lie." She insisted. He caressed her cheek, again, and he kissed the side of her lips.

"You know, I have scars myself. Do you want to see them?" He asked her, and for a moment Caroline took her mind away from all the bad thoughts. She was surprised he was so gentle and patient to her. However, seeing his scars would have made her feel better, and a little less different. So, she nodded a bit. Klaus smiled again, and he knelt on the bed, to take his shirt off. Caroline admired his perfect body. His muscles were well defined. His shoulders were large, and they looked strong. Then, he showed her a white sign on his left arm. It wasn't too big, but Caroline could easily see it. She looked worried, and she lifted her chest up, to look closer. Her fingers touched his scar.

"How did it happen?" She asked, curious.

"My step father. He used to get drunk, and he often beat my mother. I tried to stop him, once. He did it with a knife." Klaus revealed her. She immediately felt sorry. She leaned closer, and she pressed her lips against his scar, gently. Then, he showed her another scar, on his hip. Caroline touched it, and she also touched the edge of his jeans.  
"And this one. I've had it ever since birth." He said. Caroline leaned closer, and she bowed her head to kiss it, slowly. She breathed against his skin, she realized she was so close to the swelling beneath his jeans. She would have liked to know what to do, to be confident enough to do something. Truth to be told, she felt like it was her very first time. Even though his father had taken her virginity, and he had forced her to do many things against her will, she had always done anything he had asked for without being deeply conscious of her own actions. Her mind was always somewhere far, and she always tried to not focus on the violence her body was suffering.  
Klaus touched her shoulders, and he let the straps of her bra fall on her arms. Caroline glanced up at him, and she moved back, to give him more space. By a look, she told him she was ready, and Klaus understood it. He got rid of her bra, and Caroline let her back fall against the bed. She covered her breast with her arms, while Klaus grabbed her pink panties, making them slide on her long legs, until they touched the floor under her feet. Now, she was utterly naked, and there was nothing she could do to hide herself from his eyes. He didn't keep himself from staring at her nudity, yet the look in his eyes wasn't ferocious, or hungry. He looked stunned, like an artist before his best painting.  
As soon as he lay on her, she felt safe again. She felt protected by his whole body, and she didn't feel naked anymore. They shared some other kisses, until Klaus' lips moved on her breast. She struggled against her shyness, to let him do it. When his tongue played with her left nipple, she let a moan come out of her mouth. She was feeling no pain, just pleasure. Everything was so different from how she remembered. When he father played with her, he bit her nipples so hard, until they bleed.  
She put her hands among his golden, short curls. She caressed his head, and for the first time she allowed herself to close her eyes. There was no chance his gentle touch could remind her about his father's rapes. When he gave her enough pleasure with his mouth, he returned to look her in the eyes.

"I'm ready, Nik." She said. He breathed against her soft, cold lips.

"Tell me to stop, and I will." He warned her. She nodded. Her muscles were still a little tense, she couldn't relax completely. Klaus unbuttoned his jeans, and he pulled them down, along with his pants. Caroline kept her eyes on his face, and she never looked down. She only felt his hardness pressing against her inner thigh, and then the tip got in her tight entrance. She was cold, and he felt no wetness between her legs. Her body was dead. It didn't respond to any arousal, it didn't matter how many time he tried.

"Nik?" She called his name, wondering why he had stopped. He didn't want to make her feel different. He only looked at her in the eyes, and he pushed himself deeply inside her entrance, slowly. Caroline felt pain, and a moan broke in her throat. She scratched Klaus' shoulders, and she didn't even realize it. She wondered what was wrong with her. Why did she still feel pain? Then she realized it. She was no longer alive, she was no longer human. Having him inside of her gave her a pleasing sensation, but when he moved, it was like she wasn't excited at all.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. He was ready to get out of her, to give up. Yet, she kept him inside of her. Her legs surrounded his hips, and they weren't going to let him go.

"I want you." She said. It didn't matter of much it would have hurt. She wanted him, and she wanted to feel him. All of him. Klaus moved again, and his pelvis started a slow, constant rhythm. She was stretched enough to allow both of them to get some pleasure. Feeling his breath against her skin, and the warmth of his body, made her feel a little less dead, and a little more alive. They were fire and ice, and it was like snow was falling on a blaze.  
When Klaus moaned with pleasure, close to her ear, Caroline's voice became louder. She had never felt anything so good before. Everything was different with him. In that moment, she realized how much she loved him. She wasn't ready to let him go. She wasn't willing to be so selfless. Maybe, her love for him would have been his curse.  
Klaus wanted to give her pleasure, and he wanted to show her the beauty of sex. When he knelt on the bed, making her sit on his lap, she felt in control. Now, she could move her pelvis on him. Klaus' hands touched her ass, and they helped her with every little movement. He lifted her up and down, making her slide along his big, pulsing hardness. Caroline never closed her eyes, not even when tears of pleasure started to blur her view. They were making love to one another, and they both had never felt more alive.

"Nik…" Hearing her whispering his name in pleasure was priceless. He kissed her neck, and he kissed her bruises again. Caroline didn't feel ashamed anymore. She lifted her chin up, and she allowed him to move his tongue on her gelid skin. Pain faded, and for the first time she reached the highest level of pleasure without feeling guilty about it. She moaned, and she placed her head against her lover's shoulder. Her whole body completely relaxed, and for a moment she thought she no longer had control over it. She didn't care, because she trusted Klaus. When his father let her have orgasms, in the attempt to make her see how much her body wanted him, she felt dirty, and she hated herself. She didn't recognized herself. With Klaus, she felt free to embrace her pleasure.  
He lay again on the top of her, and he kept pushing his cock inside of her cold womanhood, until he came, diffusing his warm release on her walls. Caroline felt it, and she swallowed all the saliva down her throat. Her hands caressed Klaus' curls, while he rested, still on her.  
Bill always left his seed inside of her, he said it was a mark. He had forced her to take a birth control pill, and when Liz found out her daughter was taking it, Caroline had lied. She had told her mother it was because of Tyler. On the contrary, her boyfriend had never had sex with her. Remembering all those details about her life was painful, but she immediately found comfort in Klaus' presence.

"How do you feel, love?" He asked her, keeping his eyes in her blue irises. She smiled a bit.

"I feel alive." She admitted with no shame. He smiled back, and he gently brushed his lips against hers.

"You are ravishing, Caroline." He revealed her, in a soft whisper.

"Stop. Stop being so awfully perfect." She begged him, making him laugh.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I'm afraid I could fall in love with you." She said. "And my love, could be the worst thing for you."

"Love me." He commanded her, with a little smirk stuck on his full lips.

"No." She insisted. He leaned closer.

"I said, love me." He commanded again.

"Never." She said. They both knew _never_ meant _always_. They kissed, again, and then again.

* * *

"As usual, big brother, you're not answering the phone. I called to remind you about tomorrow. You promised you would have taken care of Sarah for the next two days. Stefan and I have been invited to his cousin's freaking wedding in Houston. Guess what? No children allowed. What the hell is wrong with people? See you tomorrow." Rebekah left him a voicemail. She was enjoying a sunny day outside with her daughter, in New Orleans. Sarah had insisted to go to the park to meet her school friends. Rebekah stood before the swing, and Sarah was having fun.

"Mommy, look at me!" The little girl asked for her attention. Rebekah smiled to her beloved daughter, and she put a hand on her stomach. She hadn't told anyone yet, but she knew it. She was pregnant with another baby. Stefan and her hadn't planned for it to arrive, but she was sure her husband would have been happy about it.

"You're doing great!" She said to little Sarah. "Wait, let's take a pic and send it to daddy." She took her phone from her bag, and Sarah smiled, waiting for her mother to shoot.

"Smile!" Rebekah said.

"But mom, I'm already smiling!" Sarah complained, keeping that little smile stuck on her little, beautiful face. Rebekah sent the photo to Stefan, and she did the same with Klaus. She knew how much he loved his little niece. When Rebekah's eyes focused on the image, she noticed something weird about it. A woman was standing by the swing. She had long, red hair, and she was looking right in the camera. Rebekah glanced up, to look around herself and try to find the woman. If she was still there, she would have found her easily, since she wore a pretty vintage clothing. She was nowhere to be found, even though the photo had been taken just some moments before. She couldn't understand how it was possible. She frowned, and the decided to not give it too much importance.

"Sarah, it's time to go home." She firmly said. She stopped the swing, and she took her daughter's little hand.

"But mom…" The kind complained, while walking, dragged by her mother.

"I said we must go." Rebekah didn't give her many explanations. She felt a horrible sensation. She felt like something was about to happen.

* * *

**Hello readers. :) I know this chapter was a little short, but I wanted to focus on Klaus' and Caroline's first time. I hope you liked it.  
What do you think about Rebekah' pregnancy, and Genevieve's appearance in the picture?  
Something terrible is definitely about to happen. ;)**

**Remember to review! **

**Ilaria.**


	8. VIII chapter

_**Warning:** the story contains violent material. Don't read if you think you can't handle it._

* * *

**Oblivion** - _VIII_

Caroline opened her eyes and she found herself utterly naked, and alone in Klaus' bed. Nobody was in the room, but her. She slowly raised her chest, and she gave a look to the open window. It was night outside. She had fallen asleep after the sex with Klaus, and now he was somewhere in the house. The girl took all her clothes, and she wore them again. She pulled the large sweater's zipper up, and she stepped out of the bedroom's door to go looking for Klaus. She was worried, because she knew he wouldn't have left her alone without a good reason. Perhaps, something had happened. Maybe Genevieve had hurt him while Caroline couldn't protect him. She called for him, she pronounced his name while she walked down the dark corridors of the second floor, but she never got an answer. When she saw the light coming from the office, she stepped closer to the door, and she opened it by a little push of her hand. Klaus was sitting behind his father's desk, with an empty bourbon bottle before his eyes. He looked devastated, broken. Caroline immediately felt the smell of the alcohol around her.

"Nik? What are you doing?" She asked in a soft tone. When he glanced up at her, she realized something was definitely wrong. She noticed the agenda he kept on the desk, right under his eyes.

"Reading." He said back. _Reading_? She asked herself. His pale face suggested he had come to know a horrible truth. She walked even closer, and she held the empty bottle in her hand. She saw it was bourbon, and she realized he was drunk. When she put the bottle on the desk, again, she gave a look to the agenda.

"And what are you reading, exactly?" She asked again, showing kindness in her tone. Klaus sighed, and he slowly shook his head.

"I'm reading about my father's murders." He admitted. He was cold, and it seemed like he wasn't really interested to the matter. Truth is, he was too shocked to even realize what was happening around himself. A part of him, was pretty sure he was going crazy. All those weird things that kept happening in the house made him question his own sanity. He was asking himself if all he saw was true, or just the product of his sick mind. Caroline's lips slightly parted. She had always known everything about his father's crimes, and she had never revealed anything to Klaus. She had never wanted to hurt him.

"Nik…." She tried to say.

"Shut up." He interrupted her, barely standing on his feet. He staggered, but he didn't fall. The alcohol was playing tricks to his body, and mind. Caroline took some steps back, frightened. "You knew everything about it. Admit it." He persuaded her to speak.

"I… I didn't want you to know it." She justified herself. "You didn't deserve to suffer." She murmured again.

"You hid the truth from me!" He shouted at her, pointing his finger at her. He was mad, and Caroline had never seen him being so wrathful.

"I'm sorry!" She screamed. "I thought it was the right thing to do!" Her love for him had forced her to act like that, to preserve him from all the bad things of his father's past.

"My father murdered ten people in this house, in _my_ house, and he buried them in the yard! I had the right to know it! I'm the son of a fucking psychopath! I could be a psychopath myself!" He shouted so loud, he made Caroline's dead body tremble. She immediately shook her head, and she found the courage to walk closer to him, and to take his face in her cold hands.

"No. You're not like him. Don't even think about it." She whispered, while tears streamed down her cheeks. Klaus violently pushed her away.

"Stay away from me! Don't even dare to touch me again." He growled at her, making other tears appear in her blue, sad eyes. She saw him walking away, and she followed him. He was so drunk, he couldn't understand what he was doing.

"Nik, you're drunk." She said. "Where do you think you're going?" She cried out. He didn't answer back, he just grabbed a shovel from the closet, and he walked toward the door, followed by Margot. "You can't exhume the bodies! Stay out of this!" She tried to convince him. He didn't care about her words, not anymore. He had to see the bodies, or at least what was left of them, with his own eyes, just to make sure everything was true. Everything was now clear. That was why Margot had kept digging holes in the yard since they had arrived to the house. The dog smelled the ground, and she followed the death stink. When she started digging, Klaus let the shovel sink into the ground, and he started looking for the truth. Caroline stayed still, on the porch, unable to get out of the house. She was stuck there, and she wasn't strong enough to go away. She told herself it was all her fault. All what had happened between Klaus and her, was now just a beautiful memory. She had destroyed everything, and she had lost his trust. Klaus kept digging holes, until the shovel touched something hard beneath the ground. He felt the stink, and he grabbed his phone to give light to the _grave._ He saw the remains of a body. He saw the bones, and the skull. Worms were eating the last parts of the human skin. He felt the need to puke, and he covered his mouth with his arm. He was lost. He didn't know what to do. Ten corpses were buried in his yard, and now that he knew that, he would have liked to erase that from his memory. He pushed Margot away, and he covered up all the evidences of the crime under the ground, again.  
His headache forced him to get back in the house. He ignored Caroline, who kept following him wherever he went.

"Nik. Let me explain…" She tried to speak again.

"I don't want to hear your voice." He said in a harsh tone.

"Please…" She insisted.

"Go away!" He shouted out loud, and she felt her body trembling again. She looked at him for a while, and the she did as he said. She walked away, and she left him alone, lying on the couch of the living room. The headache became stronger, until it forced him to fall in a deep sleep. Caroline cried alone, in the attic, through all the night.

* * *

The phone woke Klaus up. Rebekah's voice said something about a wedding, and about him taking care of Sarah for the following days. When he opened his eyes, he saw the light around himself. It was morning, and he received Rebekah's voicemail a day later. He suddenly jumped on his feet, and he checked the date of the message. Rebekah would have been there in a few minutes, and he had totally forgotten about his babysitting. He hurried to clean up the house, he put all the things at their place, and he started cooking something for his niece's lunch. He had no idea how to handle the whole situation. They couldn't stay there. He couldn't let Genevieve hurt Sarah again. When he noticed there was an unread message on his phone, he checked it out, and he smiled seeing the photo that Rebekah had sent him the day before. His niece was on the swing, and she looked happy. When Klaus' eyes noticed someone hidden in the shadows, he immediately recognized Genevieve. She was in the picture. He freaked out, and he immediately composed Rebekah's number. She couldn't bring Sarah in the house. Right before he could call her, the doorbell rang. His eyes stopped on the entrance. He walked fast toward it, and when he opened, his little niece ran in his arms.

"Uncle Nik!" She screamed. Rebekah followed her on the porch, holding the little girl's backpack.

"Hey Nik. I put all her things in the backpack. Clean clothes, food, books, toys. She promised me she'll be a good girl." Rebekah said, giving her big brother all the things he would have needed through the following days. "She stopped peeing in bed. But you know, she could do it again in a new house. Anyway, you'll find diapers in the small bag." Rebekah looked around herself, when she stepped in the house, leaving all the other things on the table. Klaus stayed silent the whole time, holding Sarah in his arms. "Are you ok, Nik? You're pale." His sister noticed. He nodded.

"I'm fine." He lied. Rebekah believed him, she thought he was just tired.

"Well, call me if you need something, or if something happens." She said. He nodded.

"Don't worry. We will have fun." He tried to smile. Sarah kept her little arms around his neck.

"Ok. I'm late, I should go. Bye honey." Rebekah left a kiss on her daughter's forehead, and she walked toward the door. Nik put Sarah on the ground, and the little girl ran upstairs, to play in Katelyn's room.

"Rebekah." He grabbed his sister's wrist before she could leave. "Talking about the bruises… I just want to make sure you don't believe it was me." He reminded her about their last conversation. Rebekah smiled softly.

"No. It's ok, Nik. I know it wasn't you. I was just… freaking out." She admitted. Even though she hadn't proof of her brother's innocence, she didn't want to believe he had hurt Sarah. He loved her as much as she did.

"Well, then… Have fun." He said. She smiled one last time, before to put her arms around his neck, and hug him. They both didn't say anything. They just hugged each other, like they hadn't been doing since a long time. When Rebekah took a step back, she looked at his face.

"Eat something. You're pale." She gave him an advice, and then she walked toward her car again. Klaus watched her driving away, and when she went out the black gate, he shut the door behind his back, and he walked fast toward the second floor.

"Sarah! Take your things. We're leaving." He warned her. His niece was playing in Katelyn's room, and she was keeping company to her little, dead friend. Klaus took some money, and some clean clothes. Then he grabbed his niece's wrist, and he took her backpack. Sarah was scared, because she had no idea what was happening.

"Where are we going?" She asked, while Klaus was too busy running away from the house as soon as possible.

"Somewhere." He said back, making her seat on the backseat of his car. Margot got in the car with them.

"Can't we stay here?" Little girl asked again. "Katelyn and I were playing a game." She insisted. Klaus started driving through the path that led to the black gate, and he gave a look to the rear-view mirror, while he left the house behind him. He saw Genevieve standing on the porch, and looking right at him. He drove faster, and he started looking for a hotel. "Why are we going away, uncle Nik?" Sarah asked. Klaus headache wasn't leaving him alone.

"Can you hush your fucking mouth?" He asked in harsh tone. Sarah stayed silent, and she started fearing him. He had never been so rude to her, because he had always loved her. When he realized what he had just said, he sighed, and he felt terribly sorry. "I'm sorry, love. Your uncle is really tired, today." He justified himself. When he saw a motel, he stopped the car, and he took Sarah in his arms. A man received them behind the reception's desk, and Klaus booked a room for him and his _daughter_. Sarah didn't complain, and the man led them to their room along the corridor. Margot immediately lie on the bed, and as soon as the motel's owner left them alone, Klaus looked around himself, and he understood why rooms were so cheap. That place stank, and it was filthy.

"I don't like it here." Sarah admitted, seating on the edge of the big bed, and patting Margot's head. Klaus closed all the windows, and he locked the door.

"It's just for tonight." He guaranteed her. "Why don't you turn the TV on?" He gave her the controller, just to keep her busy. Sarah started watching cartoons, and while Klaus was too busy being paranoid, boredom made her fall asleep. At evening, he bought junk food at the store by the motel, and Sarah gladly ate what her mother never let her eat. Klaus let her play with his phone, and while she shot at every zombie that appeared on the phone's screen, she asked him a question.

"What are we running from, uncle Nik?" Klaus put his eyes on her.

"I don't want you to worry about it, sweetheart." He said back. Sarah didn't insist. She noticed all their things were still on the room's table, like they we're ready to escape again. When Klaus lay on the bed, by her side, Sarah curled up on him, and she put her head on his chest. They slept, with the TV on, and all the lights off. When he opened his eyes, he heard a noise coming from the bathroom. Margot was growling at the closed door, but somehow she was too scared to get out of bed. Somebody was in the bathroom, and Klaus was sure of that. He raised his chest up, and he stared at the door for a few moments, until somebody slightly opened it from the inside, showing a little chink of darkness coming from it. Sarah was still sleeping, and Klaus tried to not wake her up, while he stood on his feet to go, and close the door. When he turned his back at it, to get back on the bed, he heard a creaking, and the door got opened again. He turned, and he saw it. There was no wind, no open windows. It was clear that somebody kept pushing that door, to warn Klaus about its presence in the room. Suddenly, the air became colder, and white smoke went out of Klaus' mouth every time he took a breath. Margot growled again, and she barked, waking Sarah up.

"What are you doing, uncle?" She asked, rubbing her little hand against her eye.

"Take your things." He commanded. Little girl frowned.

"What?" She asked again. Klaus grabbed her backpack, and he took her in his arms. They weren't safe. They wouldn't have been safe, anywhere. Genevieve would have followed them, and Klaus had nowhere to go. He got out the motel's room, and Margot followed him. He put his niece in his car, and he started driving toward his house, again. In the meantime, Sarah had started crying in fear. "What is happening?" She asked. Klaus was driving, but he could barely see the dark road. His eyes hurt, his head hurt. He was tired. He felt like he was going out of his mind. He thought about Caroline, and he thought she was the only one who could help him.

"Stay quiet, sweetheart. Everything is going to be ok." He guaranteed her. "Don't cry." He tried to reassure her, but Sarah was afraid, she was afraid of him, because he had been acting weird all day long.

"I want mommy." She cried, teasing Klaus' nerves.

"I'll call mommy as soon as we get home." He said. Even though he loved his niece, he couldn't stand her crying. It was getting inside his head. He drove till home, and there he held Sarah in his arms, to take her inside, even though she fought to not let him touch her. He turned the light on, and he started to call for Caroline. He shouted his name, over and over again. Sarah cried out louder. She couldn't recognize him.

"Let me go!" She fought to escape from his grab, and she scratched his face. Klaus shouted in pain, he put his hand against his eyes, and he tried to bear the suffering. Little girl ran away from him, and all the light of the house started to tremble, until the bulbs burnt out.

"Sarah! Come back here!" He ran after her, who, scared, kept running through the corridors. Her breath was fast, and her little heart was about to explode in her chest. When the shape of a woman appeared before her eyes, she stopped, and she screamed. That scream reached Klaus, who ran faster to get to his niece. "Sarah!" It didn't matter how loud he shouted, Sarah was trapped. When he got to the locked bathroom's door, he tried to break it down. "Open the door!" It was like the door was made of steel, and somebody was keeping it shut from the inside. Sarah was screaming, and calling for help. But when the screaming stopped, Klaus stopped trying to burst into the bathroom. "Sarah?" He whispered his niece's name. Suddenly, everything had become silent. When Klaus touched the cold door handle, the door got opened so easily, and his eyes saw that familiar smirk, stuck on Genevieve's lips. The woman disappeared fast, as dark smoke in the night. Then, he saw all the blood. It was everywhere. On the walls, and on the white floor. Sarah was lying by the bathtub, dead, lifeless. Klaus' lips were slightly parted in shock. He couldn't move a single muscle of his whole body. He fell on his knees, and crying he took his niece's body, holding it in his arms. He cried incessantly, and he kept telling himself it was all his fault.

Caroline had been kept prisoner in the attic. Genevieve's influence had invaded the whole house, and she had remained stuck in the darkness, while hearing Klaus' shouting. She had never felt so powerless before. When she managed to escape, she ran down the stairs, and she found Klaus in a pond of blood, holding his niece's dead body. She put both her hands against her mouth, staring at the whole scene, shocked. Some tears streamed down her eyes, and she left Klaus alone, because he had the right to mourn Sarah without being disturbed.

"Nik…" She called his name, after a while. He didn't move, at first. "You need to call the police." She whispered. He knew she was right. For a moment, he felt so empty, he couldn't even cry anymore. He stood up, and with a gelid expression stuck on his face, he walked down the stairs, to reach the phone. He was clearly shocked. He composed the number, and when he heard a woman's voice he talked.

"My niece just died. My house is in Saint Ann Street." He hung up the phone, without even listening at the police woman's words. He didn't came back to the bathroom. He couldn't stand the view of all the blood, along with Sarah's little, dead body. He slowly sat on the living room's couch, and he kept staring at an imprecise point of the floor before his eyes. Caroline was watching him, and he heart was crying, seeing him like that. She got closer to him, and she sat by his side. Perhaps he was still mad at her, but who cared. She wanted to stay with him, because he needed someone who could take care of him after all he had been through. She put her hand on his one, and she managed to get his attention. His eyes were so cold, and dark. She felt like the old Klaus was gone.

"I killed her." He whispered. Caroline immediately shook her head.

"No. Genevieve did." She said back.

"Nobody will ever believe me." He kept saying. The girl took his face in her hands, and she looked at his blue-grey eyes.

"I do." She guaranteed him in a soft whisper. He wished it was enough, to convince everyone about his innocence. Caroline leaned closer to his face, and she placed her soft, cold lips on his lips. She kissed him, and through that single kiss, she tried to give him strength. Because nothing would have been easy anymore, and he needed strengths to fight for himself.

* * *

**I hope you're not too shocked. What do you think about the chapter? I told you I had many horrible things in store for Klaus.  
In the next chapter, I'll read about Rebekah's reaction to her daughter's dead. Klaus will have troubles with the police. Elijah will appear for the first time in the story. Stay tuned!**

**Remember to review to get a fast update! Xx**

**P.S go read my new Klaroline fanfiction, "Unbreakable". I need your support! C:**

**Ilaria.**


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